Well, we're back from the Great American Beer Festival, which was in CO. It was an amazing time and I will update about it soon but my time is short right now.
I started my new job as a Teacher's Aide yesterday. It has been going pretty good. I have a great teacher that I'm working with and I basically help out in the classroom wherever I'm needed. It's nice because at the most, the classroom only has about 6 kids. They are in and out throughout the day. The kids are good, just need a little extra attention and patience. I think that it is going to work out nicely though. I will also post more about it in the future too.
But what I really wanted to write about was "Blog Action Day" - which I have a link for on the side of my blog. This actually happened yesterday but when I went to post, the site was down. Hopefully it was from such an overwhelming response - but who knows. Anyway, I still wanted to participate, so here is the description of what to do:
On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.
I'm sure I could go off on this topic but I'm going to TRY and keep it short and sweet. :)
I LOVE NATURE and cannot imagine the world with fewer and fewer natural areas and resources. I believe that every person truly can make an impact and that everyone really needs to have this mind frame if we are going to protect the natural world in all ways. I hear about kids that just don't go outside anymore and how it is a SERIOUS issue that needs to be addressed. The problem is (not that there is just one) but when kids don't go outside and explore their natural world, they loose an appreciation for it and as a result, don't gain a desire to respect and protect it. The understanding about how important the natural world is lost and what could happen is scary. Now I know that there is a large percentage of children who don't fit into this description at all, but the truth is that the other side is growing.
Anyway, I guess all I am hoping is that someone will read this and as a result be inspired to pay a little extra attention to our environment and help to encourage others to get outside and gain a better appreciation for it. When you are in it and experiencing the true amazement, it's sometimes easier to take that feeling home with you and extend it into your own daily lives.
Yesterday after I got done with my first day at work, I decided to go for a quick hike at Buttermilk Falls. I was stressed and tense from the normal worries of starting a new job and to just take a few minutes to get outside felt so wonderful. That is one thing that I am seriously going to miss with my new job - not getting outside regularly. But I just need to make that extra effort and remember how much it clears my mind and rejuvenates me.
Alright - that's good - I feel better :) And now I'll leave you with some pictures that I've taken recently from around Ithaca.
Crazy tree that grew around another tree
Milkweed Pods
Beautiful pool in Buttermilk
Can you believe I took this while driving?
Me at one of my last programs with the State Parks
Deer outside my old work
Ah - Buttermilk
My favorite view of one of the fall (in Buttermilk)
I really am going to miss my old job, but who knows what next summer will bring. Here I am taking a break in a field that had about 100 Dragonflies darting around over my head. AMAZING!
One last thing - I just wanted to say a couple of things I do to try and lessen my impact on the environment - maybe you will be motivated to join :)
I started my new job as a Teacher's Aide yesterday. It has been going pretty good. I have a great teacher that I'm working with and I basically help out in the classroom wherever I'm needed. It's nice because at the most, the classroom only has about 6 kids. They are in and out throughout the day. The kids are good, just need a little extra attention and patience. I think that it is going to work out nicely though. I will also post more about it in the future too.
But what I really wanted to write about was "Blog Action Day" - which I have a link for on the side of my blog. This actually happened yesterday but when I went to post, the site was down. Hopefully it was from such an overwhelming response - but who knows. Anyway, I still wanted to participate, so here is the description of what to do:
On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.
I'm sure I could go off on this topic but I'm going to TRY and keep it short and sweet. :)
I LOVE NATURE and cannot imagine the world with fewer and fewer natural areas and resources. I believe that every person truly can make an impact and that everyone really needs to have this mind frame if we are going to protect the natural world in all ways. I hear about kids that just don't go outside anymore and how it is a SERIOUS issue that needs to be addressed. The problem is (not that there is just one) but when kids don't go outside and explore their natural world, they loose an appreciation for it and as a result, don't gain a desire to respect and protect it. The understanding about how important the natural world is lost and what could happen is scary. Now I know that there is a large percentage of children who don't fit into this description at all, but the truth is that the other side is growing.
Anyway, I guess all I am hoping is that someone will read this and as a result be inspired to pay a little extra attention to our environment and help to encourage others to get outside and gain a better appreciation for it. When you are in it and experiencing the true amazement, it's sometimes easier to take that feeling home with you and extend it into your own daily lives.
Yesterday after I got done with my first day at work, I decided to go for a quick hike at Buttermilk Falls. I was stressed and tense from the normal worries of starting a new job and to just take a few minutes to get outside felt so wonderful. That is one thing that I am seriously going to miss with my new job - not getting outside regularly. But I just need to make that extra effort and remember how much it clears my mind and rejuvenates me.
Alright - that's good - I feel better :) And now I'll leave you with some pictures that I've taken recently from around Ithaca.
Crazy tree that grew around another tree
Milkweed Pods
Beautiful pool in Buttermilk
Can you believe I took this while driving?
Me at one of my last programs with the State Parks
Deer outside my old work
Ah - Buttermilk
My favorite view of one of the fall (in Buttermilk)
I really am going to miss my old job, but who knows what next summer will bring. Here I am taking a break in a field that had about 100 Dragonflies darting around over my head. AMAZING!One last thing - I just wanted to say a couple of things I do to try and lessen my impact on the environment - maybe you will be motivated to join :)
- Recycle - as much as possible, I've even been know to take recyclables home with me if no receptacle is available, but I know that can be hard for some people to do.
- I just started using reusable grocery bags - a lot of stores are now selling them and they are so awesome - they can hold so much and don't even feel heavy - and I can put them over my shoulders, which helps so much when I have to climb 3 floors.
- I use a "lunch box/cooler" to carry my lunches in back and forth to work and I also try to make my lunches and put them in reusable containers.
- Turn off lights
- Try to buy products with the least about of packaging
- Use sweaters and blankets before turning up the heat
- I'm really trying to buy more environmentally friendly products (like cleaning supplies)
- We buy our milk in bottles that are reused
- Turn water off when brushing teeth or shaving
5 comments:
Chris,
Great post - thanks for sharing your thoughts and commitment to our environment. Although I have slowly adopted better habits with respect to our environment because of the influence over the years from both you and Betsy, the examples that you have described in your post have certainly reinforced & extended my commitment to the environment. I acknowledge that I can do much more, and having the reminders from you and Betsy cetainly is a motivation. Thanks!
I would like to share with others who read this blog yet another example of Chris' commitment to improving our environment. This is an idea that many of us can learn from and put into practice. We were on a picnic recently at Colton Point near the PA Grand Canyon with around 16-17 people. There were a few folks in the group who might not always make the effort to recycle - after all it's easier to just throw the empty bottle or can in the trash. Well, Chris was proactive and set up two garbage bags with labels on both, showing everyone where they should place any materials that could be recycled - and then, after the picnic, she and Mike made sure that the recyclable materials were transported to a recycle center. Great job! I've seen so many similar situations where I've just watched people throw cans/bottles/plastics in the trash. I'll follow your lead, Chris, in the future.
The same problem happens in the work environment. I've been to meetings where bottled water and soda are served. As I'm leaving, I notice that people have thrown their empties in the trash. And, yes, I've been known to 'dive' into those same trash containers and extract the cans/bottles and transport them to a recycle container. It's interesting to note that once I start this, one or two others leaving the room typically come help me.
Keep it up, Chris - others will follow your example!
Chris, keep it up. Keep informing and sharing your ideas, you are completely awesome! An earth advocate can never be silenced! I am proud to have you as my friend and I think the most productive place for obsessions is for the planet. Having others who understand the importance of small actions and who take time to share and acknowledge them to others really gives me hope. Let's get into all of the wasted paper that people could recycle, junk mail, mixed office paper...
keep going!!!
Thanks for the great post Chris! It is nice to see people walking their talk, doing what they can, and hoping to inspire others! I am in the process of creating my own blog, but as it is not up yet, maybe I can do my part of contributing to yesterday's blogging event by writing a little bit here.
I feel that one of the benefits of where I live, Portland OR, is that this is a city of environmental committment. It is thus an inspiring place to live and is in many ways set up to help people live with less environmental impact. In addition to the great suggestions Chris made, here are some others that I try to do and see the community around me doing:
- Drive less; bike and walk more and utilize public transportation
- Reduce (reduce the amount of packaging you consume), reuse (reuse what packaging and containers you can, such as buying dry goods at the grocery store in bulk with used containers you bring from home), then recycle (recycle that which you can't reuse. in many places, recycling centers will take a greater variety of recyclables than the curbside pickup.)
- consume less....what can you do without? what can you make yourself from scratch?
- if you own a diesel vehichle, learn how to make biodiesel fuel, or create a group to make it together. in portland, all city vehicles are run on biodiesel and many gas stations sell biodiesel fuel.
- buy energy star certified energy efficient appliances
- compost your food scraps
- use biodegradeable garbage bags (compostable paper plates and disposable silverware are even available) and challenge yourself to fill your garbage can less and less each week. I generate one small bag of garbage every 3-4 weeks!
- write to your electric company and ask them to start incorporating renewable resources into the energy they provide
- send letters and make phone calls to your senators asking them to support bills that support the environment! they are hear to represent us! utilize your democratic voice and the democratic freedom that this country is based on!!
ok, i will stop there, though i could go on for awhile. the last thing i will say is that helping to preserve the environment and its resources is crucial in making sure that future generations (our children and grandchildren) are able to live with the same quality of life, if not better, than what we have. clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, clean soil to grow our food in, a beautiful landscape to enjoy, renewable resources to use to heat our homes, to use to travel, and to help us stay healthy. the health of the earth directly influences the health of it's inhabitants!
BIOBAGS- cornstarch garbage bags, 100% biodegradable. They even sell them on Amazon (make sure to get tall kitchen).
We use a paper bag but sometime it is nice to use a BioBag if it gets wet. Luckily, we have a local store INDIGO that sells them! They are a bit pricey, but it is so worth the exchange for less guilt.
Plastic never goes away!
Thanks you all for commenting! There really is so much that everyone can do. You all are inspirations to me as well!
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