1000 Flowers for the Planet - #5 Recycle Glass, Margaret A. Rowe, 2015

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #5 Recycle Glass, Margaret A. Rowe, 2015

1000 Flowers for the Planet - hiatus

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #1 Care For Bees, Margaret A. Rowe, 2013

I am taking a brief hiatus for 3 or 4 weeks to work on an installation of the '1000 Flowers' for an exhibition at the end of May. Since 4 October 2013 I have blogged a flower suggestion nearly every day and whilst I am past the half-way mark, I have to admit it is getting harder to come up with suggestions. But I know they're out there, so if you have any ideas you'd like to share, please let me know via 'comment'. 

Meanwhile, I'll fill the gap with some images of my individual art pieces. Care for Bees was my first Flower suggestion, and remains a serious issue around the world.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #524 Travel With a Steripen

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #524 Travel With a Steripen

Travelling is one of the most rewarding things one can do. Unfortunately, these days there is a dire side-effect to travelling – plastic water bottles. Most people are aware that when they travel they should not drink the local water, because it is likely to cause stomach upset and can cause vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Consequently, people take advantage of the convenience of buying water in plastic bottles. They are a convenient size, fit easily in bags and have a screw top lid enabling the user to sip at leisure but still be able to seal the bottle properly. Sadly, all of this leads to a huge amount of waste. Travellers are less able to put their empty water bottles into a recycling program, so they end up in landfill. This is a huge problem for the environment, but there is a good solution: Travel with a SteriPEN®.

A SteriPEN is a portable devise able to be used by individuals to sterilise water [http://www.steripen.com/]. It destroys viruses, bacteria and protozoa, making the water safe to drink while you’re busy investigating the corners of the globe. Using this device will save the planet from thousands (dare I suggest millions) of unnecessary plastic bottles – you can travel with one bottle that you refill each time you stop for the night (and if you really want to look after the environment, that single bottle will be an aluminium one). In this way the planet will be able to breathe a little easier, when we reduce the amount of resources being used in the manufacture of plastic bottles, reduce carbon emissions, reduce reliance on fossil fuel, reduce landfill, and better protect our environment.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #523 Observe International Midwives Day

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #523 Observe International Midwives Day

Today is International Midwives Day. The people that take up this profession make a valuable contribution to the support of women and babies, their health and well-being, as well as to the community by supporting families and providing care at an important stage in life. Bringing babies into the world sounds like a happy, joyful occupation, and in the main it must be so, but it can also be a very dangerous time for mother and child, so the value of an experienced midwife is high indeed.

There’s a huge knock-on effect from the services of a midwife. When they help a mother bring a baby into this world safely, they also ensure that mother is there to provide care and nurturing for that child, and any other children she may already have. Childbirth can be risky. Having well-trained midwives available in all corners of the world will help communities flourish with healthy mums and bubs and reduce the number of orphans. So today is a good day for thinking about how midwives support the community as a whole and offering support to them in return.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #522 Observe World Laughter Day

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #522 Observe World Laughter Day

Yesterday was also World Laughter Day, but I think it’s a particularly good concept for every day of the week. World Laughter Day was “created in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive manifestation for world peace and is intended to build up a global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter.” [source: http://www.laughteryoga.org/english/events].

Anything that works towards global peace, mutual understanding and friendship is a gift to be treasured. Laughter not only brings us together, it’s good for our health, and healthy people are less of a burden on the environment. Have you noticed how you smile when you see someone laughing and often burst into laughter yourself? It makes you feel good. So laugh, enjoy life, share the bliss and let’s be happy.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #521 Observe World Press Freedom Day

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #521 Observe World Press Freedom Day

Today, 3 May, is World Press Freedom Day, a day during which the world celebrates and reflects on the freedom of the press. It is also a day to evaluate how freedom of the press is upheld around the world and to reflect on the lives of journalists that have been lost whilst exercising that right. Events are held all around the world. Check out http://www.unesco.org/new/en/world-press-freedom-day to find an event near you and learn more about this special day of observation. Having freedom of the press enables people to learn what really is happening in our world, both at home and abroad. It enables us to know where people are in need of help, to learn what wonderful advances in technology are being made, to discover what threats might be lurking, and how to become proactive in making this planet a better place for all living creatures.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #520 Value Vinegar

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #520 Value Vinegar

Vinegar is made from fermented wine (said with caution as some vinegars are derived from petroleum), but can come from many bases such as fruits, coconut water, rice, beer, wheat and many other sources. As such, it is a natural product with many uses: cooking, cleaning, hair tonic, burnishing scissor blades, remove carpet stains, revitalise wood, remove candle wax, clean drains, polish brass and copper, clean stainless steel, clean windshield wipers, clean mould and mildew, disinfect the toilet, treat various garden pests, clean bird droppings, get rid of rust – the list goes on and on. Spend some time on the Internet looking for ideas and you’ll soon have a multitude of tasks around the home where vinegar can help. Check the source of your vinegar to ensure it’s not a petroleum product and give the natural vinegar a prominent spot in your pantry where it’s easy to grab and use for a multitude of jobs around your home. You’ll be doing the environment a favour by keeping chemicals out of our water systems, you’ll save money by not buying those dreadful chemicals, and you’ll always have a solution on hand.

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #519 Try 'The Keeper'

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #519 Try 'The Keeper'

Warning for all men: this Flower suggestion is purely for the ladies so continue reading at your own risk. On average, women menstruate for 40 years and in that time they will throw away about 10,000 sanitary products (tampons or pads). These sanitary products, depending on the brand, can possibly be made from plastics (petrochemical products), and potentially contain the equivalent of four plastic bags. They can also contain other chemicals used for odour neutralizing and fragrance. As the skin touched by these products is highly sensitive, it is possible that these chemicals are being absorbed into the body and have the potential to cause health problems. You need to do your own research to check out how your body might be affected and become better informed.

However, there is a solution that is a win/win. The Keeper is a menstrual cup [see it at http://thekeeper.com.au/menstrualcup/] made of natural gum rubber, therefore it is better for your health. The cup is reusable and lasts for years, making it an environmentally friendly device, saving landfill and the environment from thousands of human waste products. The amount of resources saved will be enormous, saving fossil fuels, carbon emissions, transportation and a big winner – saving you money: a huge amount of money over the years. Check it out and be an environmental warrior.