Doing What I can...
...to Conserve & Preserve the Environment
...to Promote Social Justice
Sustainable Societies
Leaving a sustainable planet to the next generation should be a high priority. I believe that economic justice is just as important as environmental sustainability.
In my ideal world, people would not think of skirting their social duties. To dump trash into the ocean or to pollute the water we drink would be considered a heinous crime. We would each use only what we need and share what we don't.
To build mansions while others remain homeless seems a travesty.
I believe that each person should spend x hours a week and y% of their income helping others, who either can not help themselves, or someone that's having trouble getting by. Giving selflessly to folks who will never repay the favor, is a reward unto itself. If we all chip in, we can get a lot done.
Sustainability can be Affordable
I believe that social and environmental sustainability can be accomplished in a fiscally conservative fashion if we accept the fact that it is our duty to live in a sustainable fashion. Most of the effort is of a personal nature...one of changing habits and doing a bit of thinking. but I also believe that it's cheaper to solve poverty than to let it go on.
It costs more per night per homeless person to let people remain homeless.
People are smart enough to fly to the moon. As such, I believe that we are smart enough, as a society to develop techniques for how the world as a whole can be ecologically sound and socially just. We can find ways to live comfortably and safely, so that we as a human race can survive in all of its wonderful diversity.
Virtual [non-commuting] workers are improving productivity for companies. And "green" versions of products are proving to be cheaper to produce, than their wasteful alternatives. Renewable energy is already outpacing fossil fuel in long term Return on Investment.
Social Justice can be Economically Smart
If we are smart about how we construct our lives, our communities and our governments, we can build a society that is both just and economically viable. I believe that if we are smart about how we spend our community resources, that we can get a LOT more done for the $.
A Simpler Life
It is both easier and less expensive to live a simpler life. We do not really need so many "things" in our lives. As we simplify our lives, we find that we have more time for those that we love.
If we, as societies blessed with financial fortune can learn to abstain from excess, we will have more to work with in terms of creating a more sustainable world. If we work to create less waste, by finding ways to recycle, reuse, and refuse, together as one community, we will have much more money and time to work with for altruistic pursuits.
Refuse
Reduce
That which we can't refuse/reduce, then Recycle
Wherever possible:
- Reuse/Buy Used Items
- Buy Local, Organic
- Buy Fair Trade
Personal commitments:
I try to buy local, organic and/or fair-trade. I try not to buy "mined" materials if possible. For jewelry and the trappings of vanity, I prefer to buy old jewlery or that made by hand by fair trade merchants. Not everyone can afford to do this, but if those who can "do", it'll help make the world a better place for us all.
It can be our vote for an better world.
Vote with Your $
It may not be tax deductible. And it may not be convenient. And it may even be more expensive... But then do we have to get $for all matters of the heart and soul? Do you get a tax deduction for every pleasure you consume?
I prefer to vote for a better world by "being the change" that I hope to see...
I want to be a responsible steward of our resources, all of our resources. Talent, $, the environment, our peace and good will.
Recycle, Reuse, Refuse:
- I try not to need new things. I try to repair it, and use it til the last possible thread is bare. If I have to have it, then I recycle the old instead of throwing it away.
- I'm a mad recycler of packing material. Please contact me if you have some that you don't know what to do with.
- I keep databases of recycling organizations for virtually any type of useable item.
Diet:
Diet is one of the most important ways we can support a more sustainable planet. By eating one less meat serving a week, I'm told that you can save hundreds of pounds of carbon waste a year.
- eating a plant-based diet is one of the biggest things we can do to ensure that future generations can sustain life.
- A growing part of my diet is raw, fruit, veggies, and nuts.
- I eat primarily organic, but try to eat locally produced food whenever possible
Household Cleaners:
- I use all biodegradable household products, some of which I make at home, more affordably. Contact me if you want to know what I'm doing.
Personal Products:
- I use primarily organic shampoos and simple, soaps and cremes from ecologically responsible fair-trade suppliers.
- My laundry detergent, fabric softener, and "bleach" are bio-degradable and mostly organic.
Office Supplies:
- We use paper made from recycled content
- We recycle all ink cartridges and better yet, have reduced printing considerably in recent years.
Other:
- I buy notecards, clothes, and other household items from fair-trade craftsmen whenever possible to support sustainable manufacture and social justice
- We reuse and recycle so much that we've gotten down to one trash bag a week for the two of us.