1000 Flowers for the Planet - #55 Recycle Plastics

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #55 Recycle Plastics

Every area will be different when it comes to this opportunity for recycling. Plastics in Australia are not recycled as well as in some European countries. It’s important that you check what plastics you can put into your recycling bin/collection for your area, bearing in mind that mindlessly putting out everything made of any type of plastic only creates problems for the recycling plant if they can’t deal with it, and will add to their processing costs – which you will pay for in the long term.

Of course the best action would be to avoid purchasing plastic in the first instance, and thereby have no need to think about recycling it. Most plastic ends up in landfill and we all know now that it doesn’t break down for a very long time.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #54 Reduce Personal Waste

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #54 Reduce Personal Waste

The best person to determine how to accomplish this is you. Only you know how much you waste. You will need to think about what it is you waste and how you can avoid it. But here’s some food for thought: waste isn’t just the stuff you throw in the bin/trash. You also waste time, money, resources, opportunities, energy and experiences. Find yourself a quiet spot – go to your local park – where you will be away from the distractions of home, and write down all the things you waste, then consider each one in its turn and discover how you can prevent/reduce that waste.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #53 Reject Racism

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #53 Reject Racism

Racism is a nasty word and a nasty activity. Sadly the word is over-used these days and there is even the new phrase 'reverse racism' which implies that racism can only be instigated purely by white people. I reject the phrase, I reject the idea, and I reject racism. Until we can ALL learn to get along, be tolerant of different views, cultures, colours, creeds and any other differences, we shall not be civilised, and we prevent our own growth. Let's learn to GET OVER IT and move forward in love and peace.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #52 Reject Dictatorships

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #52 Reject Dictatorships

I'm so grateful I don't live under a dictatorship, and probably I don't know very much about them, but in my opinion, no one should live in a system where they do not have a say in how they live. Freedom of speech is a precious gift and I would have all my fellow human beings be the bearers of such a gift. A nice thought - something for the world to work towards.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #51 Reject Child Prostitution

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #51 Reject Child Prostitution

I can't even bear to think about this one. Child prostitution should not even be on the list for discussion. It shouldn't exist. I reiterate that we MUST care for our children properly. We must protect them, nurture them, teach them well. They are our investment in the future. Cherish them.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #50 Reject Animal Cruelty

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #50 Reject Animal Cruelty

Animal cruelty happens in so many different forms - farming practices, social practices, medical experiments, private abuse. None of this should be acceptable. We are supposed to be intelligent. Surely we can devise farming methods that will feed the masses without having to resort to animal abuses. Surely we can devise experiments that do not require the abuse of defenseless creatures. Surely we can find better ways for people to earn their living than by the exploitation of animals. And as for abuse of pets by their owners - abomination! They should be jailed for abusing their privilege. None of this is acceptable. Let's repair the damage and respect all creatures of this earth.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #49 Reject Consumerism

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #49 Reject Consumerism

Every time I walk into a shopping centre/mall, all I can see is LANDFILL EVERYWHERE. I think about how much stuff is being purchased and taken to homes that already have so much stuff, and it will be hoarded, or used briefly before being tossed 'away' (that place we now know is called landfill), or worse, not even used at all before being tossed into landfill. MOST stuff people buy is not needed, yet whole economies are built on the idea of supply and demand - manufacture, purchase, toss away. The more people toss, the more manufacturers can sell, the bigger the profits, the bigger the corporations, bigger, bigger, more more more more ....

Can't you hear the balloon bursting?!!

We, the people of this planet, need to shift our focus. It needs to move from 'having' to 'giving'. We need to create workforces that concentrate on cleaning up the mess we've made. There IS enough for everyone, but it's enough of stuff we need, not of stuff we don't need. Let's reject consumerism and start a new movement. Let's begin 'planetism'.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #48 Reject Rape

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #48 Reject Rape

It doesn't make any difference whether it's female rape or male rape, it's not acceptable under ANY circumstances. War, culture, peer pressure, lewd behaviour - none of these are reasons or excuses for rape. Until we stamp out such barbaric, violent, disgusting, demeaning, animal behaviour we cannot call ourselves 'civilised'.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #47 Reject Poisons

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #47 Reject Poisons

Chemicals can be good and they can be bad. Poisons are obviously VERY bad. The planet needs to be cleared of these dreadful chemicals. You can play your part by not using them. Stop using poisons in your garden where they are washed into the soil and the waterways. Stop cleaning your house with poisons that are transmitted to your family and washed into waterways. THINK about what you are using and how it affects the planet. Be aware of corporations who use poisons to make record profits (such as Bayer who don't care if they kill bees) and protest against them. Reject poisons.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #46 Reject Slavery

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #46 Reject Slavery

Slavery still exists in our world, and it shouldn't. The next time you brag about buying a shirt for $5, think about how little the person who made it must have been paid, and how many shirts they must make to feed their family. Damn your $5 shirt! 

No one group has the right to enslave another. We can, and should, all work together for the benefit of the whole. Empires grow on the back of slavery. Reject that concept, and let's look after each other.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #45 Reject Child Pornography

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #45 Reject Child Pornography

The next nine flowers will be about rejection i.e. things we should all reject. I won't be saying a great deal about each one, as I think the flower will be potent enough. None of the topics will be acceptable under any circumstances. There will be NO excuses. We must all stand up for what is right and what is best for the planet, and ultimately, ourselves.

Child pornography should not even exist. We shouldn't have to be discussing this. Children should be cared for at all times. They are our future. Nurture them. Protect them. Cherish them.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #44 Discover where 'Away' is

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #44 Discover where 'Away' is

What do you think of when you put something in your trash/rubbish bin? What do you tell your child when you ask them to put something in the trash/rubbish bin? Do you tell them to “Throw it away”? If your child was to ask the question, “Where is away?” would you know the answer?

It’s time to find out where exactly ‘away’ is. It’s definitely not somewhere out in the ether where things disappear just like magic. ‘Away’ is a place. It’s a place somewhere in your vicinity, somewhere near your town or city, and it has a name. It’s called Landfill.

Why don’t you take your family for a picnic at your local landfill to see where all your stuff went when you threw it ‘away’. Could be educational.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #43 Query 'Dolphin Safe' Products

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #43 Query 'Dolphin Safe' Products

It’s easy to think that by purchasing a product that ensures the safety of a particularly loved marine animal that we are doing the right thing by that animal and the environment. Sadly, this is not the whole picture. Labels can be misleading. Can you be sure that the dolphin safe product, for example, tuna, was even caught in an area where dolphins were at risk. If no dolphins were even in the area, the claim on the label is irrelevant. It doesn’t cover the possibility that many other types of marine creatures could be in the area where tuna is netted. It’s all explained at:

http://theconversation.com/dolphin-friendly-tuna-were-worrying-about-the-wrong-species-12760

Have a read, and have a think.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #42 Clean Without Chemicals

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #42 Clean Without Chemicals

Again, those clever marketing people have got everyone buying products we don’t need. I can’t even walk down the cleaning aisle at the supermarket any more – the smell is just too overpowering and gives me a headache. If you do an Internet search for ‘cleaning without chemicals’ you’ll get over 28 million hits. There’s a lot of help out there!

It’s so nice to clean the house with water and an Enjo glove. No nasty smell and a beautiful result. Shannon Lush is an Aussie lady with plenty of ideas for cleaning without chemicals. She’s written several books and even had her own TV show. I’m sure there are plenty of like-minded people doing this in other countries around the world too. They use simple things like vinegar and bicarb soda, which are easy to find, inexpensive and kind to your family.

And the bigger picture – by cleaning without chemicals you will not be putting nasty concoctions into the water systems, poisoning sea life or giving dolphins cancer or skin conditions.

Think the big picture.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #41 Use Your Own Mug at Work

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #41 Use Your Own Mug at Work

A while ago my workplace (which employs thousands) encouraged us all to buy reusable mugs that we could take to the cafeteria to buy our coffee. It saves thousands of Styrofoam/waxed cardboard/plastic cups going into landfill.

Marketing people are rather good at their jobs. They have us doing all sorts of things we don’t need to do at all. Having a cup of coffee in our hands at various points in the day is one of those habits we’ve been tricked into believing we can’t be without. Drinking coffee in the car is not a safe thing to do and demonstrates either addiction, poor time management or both. Have your coffee at home out of a ceramic mug or china cup before you go to work / drop the kids off at school / meet your girlfriend at the mall – whatever (get up earlier and get yourself organised!). If you wander around the workplace with a takeaway coffee in your hand you need to take a look at your drinking habits. Why can’t you sit down for a coffee break? And if you’re drinking those 8 cups of water or sucking on a waterbottle all day, good grief! do you really need that coffee as well?

Question your drinking habits and when and where you drink. Think about what you’re doing and how much better you’ll feel if you reduce your caffeine intake – and use a reusable mug to prevent landfill expansion.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #40 Drive Smart - Bundle Errands

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #40 Drive Smart - Bundle Errands

There are times when we can’t avoid using the car to do our errands, but this doesn’t mean we can’t be smarter about the way in which we use the car. I don’t like shopping at all, so you won’t find me at the mall every day. I choose to put aside one day per week for all my errands and plan a circular trip in order to be efficient in my use of time and fuel. Give it a go. Bundle all your errands for the one day, write yourself a plan on the back of a used envelope and stick with the plan. Work out the most efficient route to travel (use Google maps to help initially) and see just how well-organised you become. Less time doing errands equals more time to do things you really love doing, saves money, and helps the planet.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #39 Ride a Bike

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #39 Ride a Bike

Europeans are far better at using the power of the deadly treadly (Australian for bicycle) than we are here in the Great Southern Land, but they are definitely becoming more popular as a mode of transport. Sadly there is also a lot of conflict here between bike riders and car drivers. But in the end, we need to utilise this option more and give our planet a chance to breathe.

This won’t be an option for everyone, however, if you have a bicycle and can use it to travel to work or to collect a couple of items from the local shops, then try to do so. You’ll be improving both the health of the planet and yourself in this one action.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #38 Participate in Beach Clean-Ups

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #38 Participate in Beach Clean-Ups

If you enjoy the beach and spend time there on a regular basis, then help keep the beach clean for your own sake, and for everyone else’s. It makes sense. You use it, you help maintain it. Whatever you take there for your pleasure, take all of it home with you. Rubbish should not be left at the beach.

I’ve seen some fantastic artwork made using small pieces of plastic rubbish found on one beach. The plastic waste keeps this artist in materials. Whilst I think the art is terrific, I’d rather the artist didn’t have to make such a statement.

Rubbish finds its way to the beach as it is blown by the wind, transported through waterways, washed up from the ocean (sadly) or left there by beach users. Search the internet for the dates when your local beach has scheduled a clean-up day and spare some time to attend and keep this planet beautiful. 

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #37 Pick Up Rubbish

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #37 Pick Up Rubbish

Rubbish, trash, waste, mess, refuse, debris, litter, junk, garbage – whatever you want to call it, if you see it lying around, pick it up. Anything littering your home, yard, street, neighbourhood, town or country needs to be dealt with. Don’t leave it for somebody else to deal with. Just pick it up. Dispose of it appropriately. If it can be recycled, put it in a recycling bin. If it can be composted, put it in a compost bin. If there’s no choice, put it in a rubbish/trash bin.

If you leave rubbish lying around outside then it will find its way into the storm water drains and therefore into our water systems where it will clog up the waterways, kill and/or harm fish and sea creatures, birds, wildlife and ultimately ... us.

So just pick it up.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #36 Repair your Handbag

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #36 Repair your Handbag

A couple of weeks ago I went to a local family business that sells handbags and suitcases to see if they could make a copy of a favourite handbag of mine. It was 30 years old and had been repaired so many times I’d lost count. Sadly it was beyond repair and even more sadly the family business has stopped making bags because of cheap imports.

Anyway, we struck up a conversation about the state of things, and I was shown out the back to see the huge number of bags that had been repaired that week. Unfortunately I also saw a large number of suitcases that were ready to go to landfill. One thing that has come from the GFC is that people are having things repaired rather than replaced. Before throwing away your old handbag or suitcase, see if it can be repaired.

P.S. I still haven’t thrown away that old bag. Because it was made of kid leather I have given it to my bookbinder daughter to use the best parts of the leather to bind a book.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #35 Consider Urban Run-Off

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #35 Consider Urban Run-Off

Urban run-off is a major and multi-faceted issue that I cannot condense well into one paragraph. There are many contributing factors. Wherever we build roads, lay concrete, cover the natural surface of the earth, we create areas that collect pollutants such as oils, heavy metals and rubbish that will then be carried away by rainwater or flooding to storm water drains and then into water systems. The poisons we use in the garden, pesticides, fertilisers etc, are washed through the soil and can then make their way into water systems. In our water systems are the fish that we eat, which cannot help but ingest all these pollutants. We pollute the waterways by urban run-off, where thereby pollute ourselves. This is over-simplified, so you’ll need to research this more for yourself.

I’m asking you to ‘consider’ what urban run-off is, think about how you yourself contribute to it and decide what actions you can take to reduce your personal impact.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #34 Use a Bamboo Toothbrush

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #34 Use a Bamboo Toothbrush

How many toothbrushes do you throw away every year? If you replace your toothbrush ever 3 months and live an average of 80+ years you could be throwing away 320 toothbrushes in a lifetime. If these toothbrushes are made from plastic, then how long will it be before they biodegrade in landfill? 1000 years? They say it takes 1000 years for a plastic bag. I wonder how long it would be for a hard plastic item.

I use a toothbrush made of MOSO bamboo which is an environmentally sustainable timber, cultivates at 3-5 years and regenerates naturally without pesticides. The harvesting helps control the unwanted spread of this fast growing grass into agricultural and forest areas. It is grown by local farmers as opposed to plantation farming. It should biodegrade in less than 6 months.

Sadly I need to put a caveat on this Flower post. I have learned this evening that ‘biodegradable’ is not what I thought it was when I stumbled on an article that explained that even biodegradable items such as food stuffs and paper DO NOT biodegrade in landfill. Apparently landfills are designed to keep out air, moisture and sunlight to prevent the spread of disease. That sounds good. But this means that the ingredients required to break down biodegradable products simply don’t exist in landfills. That sounds bad. Landfill, therefore, mummifies stuff. The article is at:

http://www.greenearthbamboo.com/Bamboo%20-%20is%20it%20biodegradable_a/141.htm

It looks like I’m going to have to bury my used and worn-out toothbrushes in the back yard.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #33 Donate Unwanted Goods

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #33 Donate Unwanted Goods

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With so many television shows about hoarders demonstrating the effects of consumerism I can safely say that most of us in the developed world have way too much ‘stuff’. If you have something you no longer want, don’t throw it into the bin to go to landfill, find a home for it. Donate it to your local charity/opportunity shop where a new owner can discover it, or donate it to your local church/school to sell at their annual fete.  If you have something of value or historical interest you could donate it to a museum, club or special interest group. Think about who might value your unwanted goods the most and take the time to deliver it into their care. It will make you feel good.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #32 Upcycle Clothing

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #32 Upcycle Clothing

This one won’t be for everyone, but if you have some sewing skills then give it a go. Upcycling your clothing will save you lots of money in not having to replace clothes so often or so quickly. You can alter pieces by adding embellishments to them or by reducing them by cutting away and reshaping. Some clothes can be converted into children’s pieces. Worn clothing can be patched with creative appliqué.

Surf the Internet for lots of ideas – there a so many creative people out there with fantastic ideas to share.

Jelly Roll Quilt

Last Sunday my very dear friend, Karen (who nagged me to write the Challenge Quilt books) came over for a wonderfully relaxing day stitching and talking. The weather had turned cold, making it the perfect day for these activities. My goal was to make a quilt top using a jelly roll I had bought some time ago and whilst I did not finish it in the one afternoon, it is now completed. I'll just add that to the 'quilt tops' pile to await quilting, shall I?

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #31 Buy Only Free-Range Meat

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #31 Buy Only Free-Range Meat

I thought if I bought organic food that I was also buying food from farmers who give the best possible lives to their animals. However, when I came across a website for a butcher in my home town who sells only ‘free-range’ meat, I learned more about the industry and found that there was a difference between organic and free-range. Organic meat does not guarantee a good life for the animal concerned, whereas free-range does. The butcher I discovered sells only meat that he is positive has come from an animal that has been permitted to roam freely and act naturally. He also says that grass fed beef is better for our health than grain-fed beef and had links to information to prove his point. His meat is sourced locally meaning the food miles are minimised. This butcher also runs his entire business in an environmentally friendly way to ensure his impact on this planet is minimal.

If the meat is a little higher in cost than you would pay at the supermarket, it’s worth it, and we should probably eat smaller portions than we do anyway.

So sit at your computer for a while and see if you too can source locally produced free-range meat, and be good to the creatures who feed us.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #30 Buy Locally Made

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #30 Buy Locally Made

Our ancestors used to so this more than we do now – the local butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. People were able to live in smaller communities around which they grew their food and within which they provided their own services. Since the Industrial Revolution we have purchased more and more goods from further afield, yet there is a growing desire to return to buying locally produced goods. This is particularly true of food, as people become more concerned about issues such as genetic modification and chemical fertilisers, as well as increased allergies and skin conditions.

I know we have always been globalised in one way or another, and that won’t change as long as we have different skills and resources to offer one another. But our basics can and probably should come from a local source.

What is ‘local’? It starts in the back yard, extends next to your community – your village, your town, your city – then your state, province or county, then your country. I’m a firm believer that if you can produce or provide your own goods and services then you should, and you should be free to do so as well, without reference to anyone else.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #29 Reduce Paper Usage

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #29 Reduce Paper Usage

It’s probably impossible to prevent every single piece of paper coming into our lives, but we can certainly work at reducing the amount that passes through our hands. This week I’ve given you a few suggestions for saving this precious resource and I intend to revisit this topic in the future with even more ideas. For now, have a look at this website for a few more tips:

http://www.visionofearth.org/live-green/31-ways-to-reduce-paper-usage/

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #28 Go Paperless

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #28 Go Paperless

Firstly let me clarify that I mean ‘not using paper in the first instance’ as opposed to ‘avoiding having a piece of paper’. Many of the websites I’ve read to gather ideas for this Flower talk about avoiding paper. For example, one suggestion is to take a snapshot (I suppose that means a photo on your smart phone) of a receipt when you make a purchase and not take the receipt home. Another was to scan a document for electronic storage and then throw away the document. This does not prevent the creation of paper usage in the first instance and defeats the objective. In fact, to present ideas such as these as environmental solutions is irresponsible.

Let’s make this one a challenge. For one week (two if you can and a lifetime would be even better), unplug the printer, remove all pieces of paper, pens and pencils and put them away for now, then see how you go NOT using paper. See if you can find solutions to the problems you think you face. Yesterday’s Flower will help.

Also look at every paper item that comes into your house uninvited and think of a way to prevent it happening in the future. If you’re holding something you don’t have time to read, ask whoever delivered it to you to remove you from their database or cancel the subscription. It will feel so much better not to have all that paperwork around demanding your attention unnecessarily. De-clutter. It will feel good.

Do you really have time to read the newspaper? What percentage of all those pages would you actually read? Can you hear about what’s happening around you in some other way – radio, TV?

Try to feel sad when you put a piece of paper in your recycling bin – just for a while to see if you can change your mindset. If you feel sad, perhaps you can take the next step to thinking about how that piece of paper came into your life in the first place and then how you could have avoided it.

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #27 Fully Utilise Your Home Computer

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #27 Fully Utilise Your Home Computer

Since households became users of home computers our paper consumption has sky-rocketed. Yet computers are the very tools that should replace paper. On our computers we can use word processors (replacing typewriters), spreadsheets (replacing accounting journals), desktop publishing programs (replacing literal cut and paste artwork), databases (replacing card systems), emails (replacing snail mail), and presentation programs (replacing posters), just to name the major tools. Everything can be stored on our computer and a backup copy made in case of a breakdown. These days we can store immense amounts of data on very small devices – so small they’d fit in your handbag. There’s no need for large filing cabinets and no need to print everything.

It takes a different mindset but it can be done. Next time you sit in front of your computer, look at it as a storage device for your files. Unhook the printer for a week or two and challenge yourself not to print anything to see how well you can cope without paper. You may actually find you end up better organised. Now wouldn’t that be nice!