Can We Talk 2

Earth Day 2022

Prompt: Environmental: EARTH DAY 2022 INVEST IN OUR PLANET - How can we, as individuals, invest in our planet?

         There are many small things that we can do to help planet earth. Putting baking soda in the home drains at least once a week helps neutralize the soaps and cleaners that we use. It doesn't help industrial waste, but there are laws governing that. we can stop wasting water, like letting it run while we brush our teeth. If you hand wash dishes, use a plastic box that you can lift out of the sink and pour onto your lawn. The grass and flowers like diluted dish soap, and it helps your water bill. You can keep a rain barrel to water your plants or even spot wash the car. (Keep a top on it to avoid mosquitos.)

         The dishwasher reruns the same hot water over and over to clean your dishes and supposedly uses less water than hand-washing a sink full. However, the dry cycle uses a lot of electricity. You could hand dry or let sit overnight. I have mixed feelings about the laundry. According to Consumer Reports, the washer redistributes the dirt evenly over all your clothes. The stains might come out, but overall, your laundry will turn gray in time, unless you use more water in extra rinses.

         Planting trees seems the number one thing to do. If you don't have a yard, you can contribute to a school or church or a park to plant trees. If you're a business owner, be sure some shrubs or trees are nearby. The scenery is better, we have more oxygen produced, and they help screen out pollution. If you do have a yard, don't haul away all your brush or plant clippings. Have a small compost pile or keep them in your mulch. They give a home to bees and insects that are necessary. Carpenter bees are not harmful: they make ugly holes in the wood, but they can be plugged up and painted. The bees don't cause harm or attack if left alone. I can't say anything nice about hornet nests.

         Littering is not only an eyesore; it is a sign of irresponsible, self-centered behavior. Some litter can be harmful to animals and fish. Plastic bags can kill turtles and other aquatic life. In my family, we not only clean up after ourselves, but we also pick up other people's trash. We try to leave the woods, parks, and playgrounds better than we found them.

         I really have an ax to grind with smokers who throw their butts out the car window. That might work out in a divided highway, although it really makes a city or urban area ugly. In the rural areas, that butt can set a field on fire, burning down wooded areas, gardens, and endangering nearby residents. In fact, most smokers or vapers I have known don't care how they affect others or the atmosphere.

         I admit my conservative use of water and electricity at home has more to do with keeping the bills low. Keeping tabs on the toilet tank and leaky faucets helps. If you lower your water bill or propane bill or electric bill, you are rewarding yourself for conserving resources.

         I take a controversial viewpoint on climate change. We have been in global warming ever since the ice age waned. Scientists weren't around to keep statistics in the earlier stages. Now the earth is more populated, increasing the use and abuse of resources. Technology and modern industrialization have escalated the speed of warming. So it seems that we are in the original plan of creation. I believe it is important to care for what we have and not abuse it. We should not waste or spoil anything on the earth. But doing the best we can will not reverse or stop the course we are on.