As, I was walking to the ATM today, I realized someting. Humans are not the only one trying to clean up more. As I walked towards the student union, I saw a little bird. This little bird was picking up little pieces of paper. Now at first I didn't find this too odd. I mean maybe it was using it to make a nest or something. Then I saw what the bird was dooing. The little bird was picking up the paper, flying over to the garbage can, and dropping it in! I was a big shcoked to tell the truth. I saw it do this a few more times with other little pieces of trash before someone walked too close to it, spooked it, and it flew away.
After witnessing little Fred....Yes I have named it Fred, because I once knew a garbage man named Fred, and he was pretty short. But yea, after witnessing Fred, I have become inspired. I mean, if a little bird, not even as big as my hand, can try and make a diffrence by cleaning up more. Why can't I.
But this bird made me think one more question....Could a swallow carry a coconut? I mean...could it?.....
Friday, October 30, 2009
Help Colby with a Paper Problem
Today was a HORRIBLE day for me in the sustanability field. I went to the library to print some notes for my class, and I had never done that before, so i ended up printing 165 pages! I was devastated!!!! I didn't't realize that it would come out to some many. I had asked why that happened, and it was because I din't have the page set-up correct. After a few minutes of dwelling and pouting, and came up with the idea to use the back of the notes as scratch paper for my math class. It's not the best idea, but at least its something!
Best Advice - Marry Someone Nice
As some of you know, I am officially a super sickie. Ugh! I did nothing for the environment today. I barely did anything for my own survival.
Fortunately, I am married to someone really wonderful who got me water and tylenol, did my errands, and even listened to my complaining. He has even agreed to talk to the incomparable Chef Brooke about how to eat more sustainably before he plays his weekly gig at Chef Brooke's Natural Cafe this evening. So hopefully I'll have something good to share tomorrow.
Also, when you are married to someone nice, you aren't super caught up in life drama. You are free to just have fun and think of good things to do for the planet.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sick! Sick of Junk Mail
This has been a really tough week for me. I want to do some cool sustainability challenge stuff, like maybe go hiking at Lovers Key. I thought about making a video about Chip and his compost bin. But I am super sick - too sick to even think about these things really.
But always the sustainability fighter, I decided to do something I have meant to do for a really long time, which is take my name off of some junk mail lists. Check out this link where you can go and opt out of a lot of the direct mail that you get.
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm#getofflist
I'm also going to make some postcards that say please take me off your mailing list - for any junk mail that I keep getting. Finally I'm going to e-mail my financial advisor and ask how we can get less mail from all the different companies that our mutual funds invest in and so on. So not super exciting, but not too bad either.
Hope you're all doing great. Enjoy your last week of sustainability challenge!
But always the sustainability fighter, I decided to do something I have meant to do for a really long time, which is take my name off of some junk mail lists. Check out this link where you can go and opt out of a lot of the direct mail that you get.
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm#getofflist
I'm also going to make some postcards that say please take me off your mailing list - for any junk mail that I keep getting. Finally I'm going to e-mail my financial advisor and ask how we can get less mail from all the different companies that our mutual funds invest in and so on. So not super exciting, but not too bad either.
Hope you're all doing great. Enjoy your last week of sustainability challenge!
Beware - a note from Nicholas
I awoke dazed. My eyes could not focus. The sunlight, pallid and dim, showed me dense trees and bracken spreading out for as far as I could see. There almost seemed to be a fog; the air was thick, as if the humidity of summer could not escape trough the canopy.
I was also very naked.
I remembered nothing of how I came to be in the woods, and, well, nothing of the day itself. The last thing that I could recall clearly was cleaning Chestnut's ashes from the garage floor. Then... blinding light, pain, and no more.
I shivered. A chill ran down my spine. I was being watched. I looked around, aware of my vulnerability, becoming more and more frightened as the seconds lapsed. What if it was the owls? Was this their doing? Were they finally coming to take their vengeance upon me for all the years I had spent lighting them on fire (and throwing paper balls at them)?
There was a whispering in the brush nearby, then in the canopy above. Whatever it was, it could move quickly. With each rustle of leaves, it seemed to draw closer. I looked around frantically, always catching movement out of the corner of my eye. Why was it toying with me? Why didn't it just finish it?
Then it stopped.
“Wot you doin' naked?” a small voice behind me said. “Why's you city folk always gotta be so odd?” the tiny voice said, this time closer. “Oi, talkin' at you, biggun.”
A sharp finger jabbed me in my left buttocks. I spun around, and was confronted by a frail-looking, impish little figure. Horns on his head, an improbably stylish goatee on his chin, and wearing my clothes, he stood defiantly, even though he was only about two feet tall.
“Who-” I began. “I mean, what are you?” The little thing adjusted my far too baggy pants and stuck out its chest, seemingly offended.
“Who'my? Who'my?” It started. “I am Jabberwocky Jones, tha's who. And ya've been brought here to receive my message!” The forest suddenly darkened. Birds flew out from the trees, swarming about us, creating a dark, squawking womb. The little imp seemed to grow until he loomed several feet above me, rife with new sinew, ripping my clothes to shreds. A deep red light came from everywhere and nowhere, bathing him in an ominous glow. He laughed, deep and cruel, and it echoed through my skull. He bent low, so that his face was in front of my own; I could smell sulfur on his breath.
“What do you want,” I squeaked as cold sweat dripped into my eyes. “What did I do?" Jabberwocky Jones threw his head back and laughed once more; the forest shook with his contempt.
“You have done nothing, mortal,” he spoke. “ You have done nothing... of great affect to me. As I said, you are here for... a warning.” He spread his arms and looked about him. “Still, this is my kingdom. And you defile it. Heed my words and you shall not suffer my wrath.” Suddenly, he slammed his fists into the earth at my sides and put his head, once again, level with mine. He seemed to have grown even larger. Jones smiled, showing jagged teeth that had not been there before.
He paused...
“Stop littering, you sassy man! Or, I will eat your face.” Jabberwocky Jones screeched in a girly fashion, and he vanished into teensy cloud of smoke with an even teensier pop, taking with him all the baleful portent he had wished to impart upon me.
“That was anticlimactic,” I muttered to myself, confused. (I had thrown a McDonald's cup out of the window earlier.) “I guess I shouldn't litter anymore. Because he'll eat my face.” I resolved to be more careful. Because, if you litter, even once, and even if it is something so very small, Jabberwocky Jones will eat your face.
Seriously. He will eat it.
[Further notes on the dog: I noted scaffolding in the distance, from my window. The dog really is building something; and it is big...]
Check it out …
http://environment.about.com/od/pollution/a/litter.htm
I was also very naked.
I remembered nothing of how I came to be in the woods, and, well, nothing of the day itself. The last thing that I could recall clearly was cleaning Chestnut's ashes from the garage floor. Then... blinding light, pain, and no more.
I shivered. A chill ran down my spine. I was being watched. I looked around, aware of my vulnerability, becoming more and more frightened as the seconds lapsed. What if it was the owls? Was this their doing? Were they finally coming to take their vengeance upon me for all the years I had spent lighting them on fire (and throwing paper balls at them)?
There was a whispering in the brush nearby, then in the canopy above. Whatever it was, it could move quickly. With each rustle of leaves, it seemed to draw closer. I looked around frantically, always catching movement out of the corner of my eye. Why was it toying with me? Why didn't it just finish it?
Then it stopped.
“Wot you doin' naked?” a small voice behind me said. “Why's you city folk always gotta be so odd?” the tiny voice said, this time closer. “Oi, talkin' at you, biggun.”
A sharp finger jabbed me in my left buttocks. I spun around, and was confronted by a frail-looking, impish little figure. Horns on his head, an improbably stylish goatee on his chin, and wearing my clothes, he stood defiantly, even though he was only about two feet tall.
“Who-” I began. “I mean, what are you?” The little thing adjusted my far too baggy pants and stuck out its chest, seemingly offended.
“Who'my? Who'my?” It started. “I am Jabberwocky Jones, tha's who. And ya've been brought here to receive my message!” The forest suddenly darkened. Birds flew out from the trees, swarming about us, creating a dark, squawking womb. The little imp seemed to grow until he loomed several feet above me, rife with new sinew, ripping my clothes to shreds. A deep red light came from everywhere and nowhere, bathing him in an ominous glow. He laughed, deep and cruel, and it echoed through my skull. He bent low, so that his face was in front of my own; I could smell sulfur on his breath.
“What do you want,” I squeaked as cold sweat dripped into my eyes. “What did I do?" Jabberwocky Jones threw his head back and laughed once more; the forest shook with his contempt.
“You have done nothing, mortal,” he spoke. “ You have done nothing... of great affect to me. As I said, you are here for... a warning.” He spread his arms and looked about him. “Still, this is my kingdom. And you defile it. Heed my words and you shall not suffer my wrath.” Suddenly, he slammed his fists into the earth at my sides and put his head, once again, level with mine. He seemed to have grown even larger. Jones smiled, showing jagged teeth that had not been there before.
He paused...
“Stop littering, you sassy man! Or, I will eat your face.” Jabberwocky Jones screeched in a girly fashion, and he vanished into teensy cloud of smoke with an even teensier pop, taking with him all the baleful portent he had wished to impart upon me.
“That was anticlimactic,” I muttered to myself, confused. (I had thrown a McDonald's cup out of the window earlier.) “I guess I shouldn't litter anymore. Because he'll eat my face.” I resolved to be more careful. Because, if you litter, even once, and even if it is something so very small, Jabberwocky Jones will eat your face.
Seriously. He will eat it.
[Further notes on the dog: I noted scaffolding in the distance, from my window. The dog really is building something; and it is big...]
Check it out …
http://environment.about.com/od/pollution/a/litter.htm
Molly's New Bag
This afternoon I was running low on groceries and I had to go to Publix. I realized that bringing my recycle/reusable grocery bags would be a great way to help the environment. One of the bags has a picture of a basketful of fruit and the other is a brightly colored green bag from Publix. While in the store I saw a very cute PINK (my favorite color) recycle/reusable bag that was absolutely adorable! I thought to myself what a fashionable way to carry my grocery items, plus I'm helping out the environment by not using plastic bags!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Jessica is Doing Some Smart Driving
Today, I was going to drive to Chick-fil-A for lunch, despite having a fridge stocked with food. I didn't even have any other errands in that direction, so it would've been a drive just for the food. Instead I decided to cook my own chicken tenders - and not only did it manage save money, it helped to save the environment. I even looked up information on exactly what I was saving the environment from to find that combustion engines contribute to greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere and are responsible for climate changes (Nutramed 4). And something that I never really put into account, as painfully obvious as it may be, is that pollution is not exclusive to the environment. As illustrated by Cronon in the Trouble with Wilderness, we are just as much a part of our environment as anything else, we simply don't see it that way on a day-to-day basis. But we can't live in a world seperate from nature - not really. Once a planet is damaged, its inhabitants will irrefutably face any negative effects that come along with it.
Protecting nature is like free life insurance - keep the environment healthy, and you keep yourself healthy. I wanted to learn how I could make a difference not just on a local but a global scale. I found that global air pollution would be reduced if people spent 30% less time driving than they do normally (Nutramed 5). I now plan to cut out running little errands on a daily basis and instead, wait a few days to make the trip. I couldn't tell you the number of times I've gone to publix just for a snack or two. By keeping a 'to do' list and buying all of my items at once, I'm certain that I could reduce my driving by 30%, if not more.
http://www.nutramed.com/environment/cars.htm
Protecting nature is like free life insurance - keep the environment healthy, and you keep yourself healthy. I wanted to learn how I could make a difference not just on a local but a global scale. I found that global air pollution would be reduced if people spent 30% less time driving than they do normally (Nutramed 5). I now plan to cut out running little errands on a daily basis and instead, wait a few days to make the trip. I couldn't tell you the number of times I've gone to publix just for a snack or two. By keeping a 'to do' list and buying all of my items at once, I'm certain that I could reduce my driving by 30%, if not more.
http://www.nutramed.com/environment/cars.htm
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