My yard is at peak. Unfortunately, it is also in a drought. Some places are challenged with flooding, but it is dry in my neighborhood. Native plants don’t need chemicals, and they adapt to wet and dry weather extremes
I don’t water, and hope for rain.
Native plants attract the bees’ birds and butterflies. The monarch butterflies and the hummingbirds are thrilled with these native flowers in my yard
Yay, It’s Plastic Free July. Join millions of people working to reduce their plastic use
Start refusing plastic today!
We have a plastic problem. Plastic pollutes our earth from it’s extraction to it’s end of life.It pollutes our water air and land. Plastic is made of fossil fuels and contains harmful chemicals are needed to make it plastic. It breaks down into tiny fibers called microplastics. These tiny microplastics have been found in our brains, blood and in every organ in or body. Do you want plastic in your brain? Plastic permeates our lives, and we would all be healthier by reducing our plastic use.
Plastic may feel convenient, but the long-term costs are serious:• Only 9% of all plastic ever made has been recycled• The rest ends up in landfills, waterways, or breaks down into microplastics. Some of these microplastics end up in fish, plants, animals and human beings. Reducing your plastic exposure is not easy, but it is important.
We all see plastic litter that is harmful to our waterways and our environment, but we are just be learning that plastic contains harmful chemicals and that it breaks down into microfibers. We can’t see these chemicals or the microfibers that can harm our bodies.
Plastic contains thousands of harmful chemicals that are especially harmful to children. These chemicals leach from plastic containers into our food and bodies. Plastic chemicals contain serious hormone disrupters that can cause obesity, diabetes, cancers and birth defects.
Water from plastic bottles has about double the microplastic level of tap water on average, according to a 2018 study published in the journal Frontiers in Chemistry. So unless your tap water is contaminated with unsafe elements, such as lead, it’s probably best to drink tap. Fill up a metal reusable bottle for when you go out. You can always filter your tap water. Depending on the filter, that may further reduce microplastic levels. (Check CR’s ratings of water filters.)
Do: Heat food in or on the stove, or by microwaving in glass. Don’t: Microwave in plastic.
Some heated plastics have long been known to leach chemicals into food. So if you’re warming up food, use a pan in the oven or on the stove, or if you’re microwaving, use a glass container. Also, avoid putting plastics in the dishwasher because of the high heat involved in cleaning.
Do: Buy and store food in glass, silicone, or foil. Don’t: Store food in plastic, especially plastic that may contain harmful chemicals.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has said that plastic food containers with the recycling codes 3, 6, and 7 may contain potentially harmful chemicals, unless they’re labeled “biobased” or “greenware.” Don’t store food in these types of containers. Instead, use containers made of glass or silicone, or wrap your food in aluminum foil. If you’re storing food in or eating food out of plastic containers, know that plastics with recycling codes 1 and 2 are more likely to be recyclable—though they are usually recycled into lower-quality plastics. And there still may be harmful or unknown chemicals in any type of plastic.
Do: Eat fresh food as much as possible. Don’t: Rely on processed food wrapped in plastic.
The more processed or packaged a food is, the higher the risk that it contains worrisome chemicals. Food cans are often lined with bisphenol A (or similar compounds). Buy fresh food from the supermarket, and—as much as possible—try to use refillable containers if your market allows. (Of course, with shopping made difficult by the coronavirus pandemic, prioritize your health and shop however is most feasible and safest.) Certain markets let you fill up cardboard or reusable containers with bulk items and weigh them, or you can use your own mesh bags for produce. Raw meat and fish need to be kept separate for safety reasons, but ask the store fishmonger or butcher to wrap these foods in wax paper instead of plastic. Take cloth—not plastic—reusable bags to the store to take your groceries home.
Do: Vacuum regularly. Don’t: Allow household surfaces to get dusty.
The dust in your house could be loaded with microplastics and chemicals that are found in plastic, such as phthalates. Cleaning up dust may help reduce the amount of plastics you inhale, especially if you are stuck inside for long periods of time during a period of social distancing. CR recommends vacuuming regularly with a HEPA filter, which is best for trapping dust. (Check CR’s ratings of vacuums.)
Do: Work with your community. Don’t: Assume your impact is limited to what you do in your personal life.
Legislation to limit the use of single-use plastics and plastic production may pull the biggest levers, but joining forces with community-level recycling groups can truly make a difference. Look for so-called zero-waste groups, which can offer guidelines for how to recycle or compost all your garbage—and which lobby for local rules that can restrict throwaway items. When possible, shop at markets that source goods locally, so they don’t require as much packaging and shipping. Seek out groups such as Upstream, a nonprofit working to create reusable takeout packaging for restaurants. And when possible, educate yourself about and support any city, county, and state legislation limiting single-use plastics.
My list to reduce your plasticfootprint:
Always carry a reusable glass or metal water bottle, and reusable shopping bags with you.
Learn to refuse single-use plastics, such as plastic water bottles and coffee cups, straws, plastic bags and plastic utensils.
Purchase fruit and produce in the bulk section, and don’t place items in plastic bags.
Always search out products in glass jars instead of plastic containers.
When you must buy plastic products, choose ones that you can recycle rather than ones you must put in the trash.
Bring your own containers and shop the bulk section of your local food coop.
I was surprised to hear about No Buy July. Surprised, but also pleased. As a zero-waste person, I worry about the harm consumerism does to our planet. Our air and water suffer from production, transportation and the disposal of so many purchases that are not necessary. We are passing a way of life of consumerism on to our children when we already have a planet that can’t support our American lifestyles.
We all need clean air and water. Less consumerism and less trash make a difference in protecting our planet.
Michelle Singletary has good suggestions to participate in No Buy July
Shopping shouldn’t be thought of as entertainment.
Don’t define yourself as a consumer.
Stop spemding to save
Start saving by having a plan and a purpose for how you spend your money. Read her column here:
How can you use less plastic? #BeatPlasticPollution
June 5th is World Environment Day Today is World Environment Day, an international observance that began in 1973 and held annually ever since.This year’s theme continues to focus on plastic and the goal is to #BeatPlasticPollution. Did you know that:Less than 10% of plastic is recycled? The rest end up in landfills or waterways.There are more microplastics (plastic less than 5mm in diameter) in our waterways than there are stars in our galaxy?We ingest microplastics from the food we eat and the air we breathe?A global treaty to end plastic pollution is currently being negotiated, with the second round of discussions happening in August. Consider taking a count of the number of single use plastic items you use in a day or a week. And then consider what alternatives exist to help reduce that number or eliminate your single plastic use altogether. We can all take action. Together.
Plant your yard for pollinators, and please DO NOT use chemicals!
From The Carbon Almanac:
As you savor the taste of honey, remember that the production of one pound of honey needs 2,000,000 flowers and on average, a bee visits 50-100 flowers on each flight. The average bee makes just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
Did you know that there are over 20,000 species of bees who, along with other pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds, support the production of 75% of our food crops? Not only is their contribution to food security essential, the bees also play an important role in preserving biodiversity.
Bee populations are becoming increasingly at risk due to habitat loss, temperature changes due to climate change, pollution and agricultural practices.
The United Nations has designated today, May 20th, as World Bee Day
What can we do to help protect the bees?
All of us can share information about bees to help raise awareness on their important role. It’s as easy as forwarding this email.
If you have a garden, you can avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides. You can also plant diverse native plants that flower at different times of the year.
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
Refuse to consume so much junk. Avoid Target and The Dollar Store.
What is the single best thing I can do for the planet? Maybe the best two things I can do? The New York Times put this question to some experts. It was actually the most click on article on Earth Day.
They have sone good suggestions, but we all have such different lifestyles and ways we are all harmful to the planet in the way we live. We all need to take inventory of the ways we are harmful to clean air and clean water. Everyone can buy less stuff. Do we really need all the Easter eggs and decorations everywhere the past two months? Do you really need that extra shirt or pair of shoes? What can you purchase second hand or reuse?
Cutting meat consumption and driving less are huge, but so is not wasting so much food, and reducing our single-use plastic
The New York Times asked their experts how to be the best planetary citizens?
I think their ideas are thoughtful and interesting. It is worth a read
“The thing
First, it’s important to understand that climate change is a symptom of a larger issue: ecological overshoot, or the fact that humans are consuming resources faster than they can regenerate and producing more waste and pollution than nature can absorb, said William Rees, a human and ecological economist and professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia. The most effective solutions, then, address not just greenhouse gas emissions but overall consumption and pollution.
One of the most effective ways to avoid consumption in the first place, Dr. Rees said, is to have a smaller family. But that might not be a realistic option for many people, for all kinds of personal, cultural and other reasons.
As The New York Times’s ethics columnist has pointed out, it might also be realistic to think that children who are raised with a sense of responsibility could — in personal and collective ways — be part of the solution, ensuring human survival on a livable planet by promoting adaptation, resilience and mitigation.
A less complicated recommendation is to cut back on meat. “On all these different metrics, eating a plant-based diet broadly improves sustainability,” said Seth Wynes, a scientist specializing in climate change mitigation at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.
The choices we make for food are some of the most powerful we make for the planet. Reducing our meat consumption, reducing foot waste, and reducing plastic packaging make a huge impact.
This is such a thoughtful Earth Day post by Dan Buettner. I need to share it! Enjoy.
“On the places where people live the longest, Earth Day isn’t a date on the calendar.
It’s a way of life.
In Ikaria, Greece, families gather around tables that haven’t changed much in generations—bowls of beans, fresh vegetables, wild herbs, and homemade bread. In Okinawa, Japan, elders still tend small garden plots, growing the same nutrient-rich foods they’ve eaten since childhood. In Nicoya, Costa Rica, meals are cooked slowly, with care—and rarely, if ever, wasted.
No compost bins. No food miles calculators. Just deeply rooted habits that naturally care for the Earth. 1. The quiet climate action on your plate Globally, what we eat has a bigger impact on the planet than how we commute or what we recycle. But in blue zone communities, where chronic disease is rare and centenarians are common, food systems look strikingly different from the modern industrial model.
People grow what they can, shop close to home, and cook meals from scratch. It’s not about perfection—it’s about patterns. These aren’t grand gestures or sweeping declarations of sustainability. They’re quiet, everyday acts: soaking beans overnight. Picking greens before lunch. Making soup with what’s left in the fridge.
Over time, those patterns add up—not just to better health, but to a lighter impact on the Earth. 2. Plants, beans, and the power of simplicity At the heart of every long-lived kitchen is a humble foundation: beans. Black beans in Nicoya. Garbanzo beans in Ikaria. Soybeans in Okinawa. They’re eaten nearly every day, often with greens, grains, or root vegetables.
This isn’t just a healthy way to eat—it’s one of the most sustainable. According to environmental researchers, shifting toward a plant-forward diet can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, and use less land.
And yet, the secret isn’t just what’s on the plate. It’s the simplicity of it. Meals are built around a few affordable, nourishing ingredients. They’re not flashy, but they’re deeply satisfying—and deeply kind to the planet. 3. Homegrown, seasonal, and slow Long before “farm-to-table” became a restaurant trend, it was simply how people ate. In blue zones, food is closely tied to the rhythms of the land. Tomatoes are eaten in summer. Squash in fall. Greens in spring. Root vegetables in winter.
Backyard gardens are common. So are farmers’ markets and community exchanges, where excess harvests are shared instead of tossed. Eating this way naturally cuts down on packaging, long-haul transportation, and overprocessing.
But more than that, it builds connection—to the Earth, to the seasons, and to each other. In every longevity hotspot, food isn’t just fuel. It’s a daily relationship with the land. 4. Fewer packages, more presence A meal made from scratch doesn’t just nourish your body. It also avoids the packaging, additives, and excess waste that come with processed convenience foods.
In blue zones, people rarely rely on single-use plastics or highly packaged meals. Leftovers are stored in reused jars. Lunches are wrapped in cloth. Bread is baked, not bought. There’s a natural resourcefulness that comes from making do with what you have—and wasting as little as possible.
But the deeper benefit might be this: when meals take time, they also become something to slow down for. Cooking becomes a ritual. Eating becomes a shared experience. And in a world that often feels rushed, that presence is a gift—to both you and the planet. 5. A better way, one bite at a time You don’t need to grow your own food or cut out all packaging to make a difference. Start with what feels doable.
Try cooking one plant-forward meal each day. Choose in-season produce when you can. Make beans in big batches. Learn one simple recipe that becomes your new staple. Keep a cloth tote in your car. Compost your scraps if you’re able.
Small changes, done consistently, can be powerful. And they often ripple out—toward better health, deeper joy, and a gentler impact on the Earth.
This Earth Day, remember: the way we eat is one of the most personal—and powerful—climate choices we make.
And if it also adds years to your life? Even better.” Dan Buettner
In the blue zone of Sardinia, akentannos is a toast often used. It means ‘May you live to be 100 years.’ Akentannos!
Tomorrow is Earth Day. It is 55th Earth day since the annual event was initiated in the United States on April 22, 1970.
Earth Day was started by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson because he saw such deterioration of our water and air quality. It was a call to take better care of our planet. The call is even more important today with the terrible effects of climate change and the production of so much plastic which no one could visualize in 1970.
On this Earth Day visualize the world you want to live in and decide what changes you need to make to create the beautiful world you wish for??? How can we insure clean air and clean water for everyone?
Each one of us needs to work to create the world we want to live in. I want a world of clean air, and clean water. I want a world of healthy birds, healthy butterflies and healthy people.
The sighting of the first butterfly is always exciting. Have you seen one yet?
Below is a beautiful essay on the Painted Lady butterfly. Like all birds butterflies and bees these butterflies are stressed by climate change, loss of habitat, and harmful chemicals. The theme of the essay is that these are very resilient butterflies that have been able to adapt for their survival. Unlike the Monarch butterfly Painted Ladies don’t need just a few flower species to lay their eggs, they adapt!
I have planted habitat in my yard for Painted Lady caterpillars.
Painted Lady
Painted Lady love pussy toes.
These pearly everlasting plants have eggs from the painted lady.
On this Earth Day, do everything you can to help these beautiful butterflies survive. Plant native plants in your yard, never use chemicals on your plants, avoid single-use plastic, and everyday work for clean air!
I make zero waste a game to waste as little as I can.
Our landfills are overflowing, and we just keep purchasing junk and many things we can live without. Consumerism contributes to global warming as do our landfills and burning of trash. We must cut back, maybe not to total zero waste, but creating less waste overall.
Zero waste is not easy, but it is possible. Reducing our waste forces a new look to what we buy. Reducing purchases makes us pay attention to what we buy. Do we really need all the junk we purchase?
March 30 is the UN’s International Day of Zero Waste. This year’s focus is on reducing waste in the fashion industry and helping to advance circular solutions. We have a choice how we spend our dollars, and spending our money on good long lasting products should be a priority. Many items are expensive right now and I bet you can monitor and adjust to be happy with what you already have.
Avoid the fashion fads. Do you really want someone else telling you what to buy and wear. Be your own person create your own look! If your truly want to live on a planet with clean air and clean water we need to cut back! “We still have the ability to stop the worst from happening to our planet. The power to do this is in our hands—we just need to use it.” Katherine Hayhoe
We just need to get in the habit of reusing and fixing what we have. Most of us have closets full of clothes we barely use. Shop your closet and create a new outfit with the clothes you have. Be creative
Many say to me, “But it was so cheap!” No, it’s not cheap with the harm it does to our planet! Manufacturing, shipping, and disposal takes lots of time and energy. Most of it not healthy for anyone.
How can you help to reduce your addiction to fast fashion clothing? Some ideas:
Shop your own closet, or the closet of a friend or relative.
Purchase secondhand. Some secondhand stores even have personal shoppers for you to use.
Buy quality over quantity
Mend clothes rather than throwing them away
Intentionally select the brands you purchase from and learn about their sustainability practices
Make a decision you didn’t need this item after all
Health4earth 