oregoing plastic bags at the grocery and other stores is not a new idea. By now we’ve all learned that plastic is made from petroleum, a finite resource, and that the ubiquitous bags make their way into our waterways and the digestive systems of many animals. But the extent of plastic bags’ impact is shocking. I invite you … Read more
I’ve posted many ‘dos’ for protecting the planet, and here are a few ‘don’ts.’ This list of 10 items to never buy again comes from Green America (formerly Co-op America), and the commentary is mine. –April Moore 1. Styrofoam cups –These are relatively easy to avoid. For picnics and other large events, heavy paper cups … Read more
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I used to make lots of them, and they usually ended up forgotten, typically after just a few days. So, since I like success, I started limiting my New Year’s resolve to just one or two commitments, and they were the kind of resolutions I thought I could actually keep. … Read more
Perhaps you’ve seen articles and books about how to make your own green household cleaners. Well, if you’re like me, it’s hard to remember all the ingredients and proportions. So I end up cleaning the old-fashioned way–with commercial cleaners, and feeling guilty about it. Well, here’s an easy way to get started with greener cleaning. You only … Read more
For a great many of us, our dog or cat is a dear companion. How we care for our pet matters, for the animal’s well-being, of course, and also for the well-being of our planet. One way our pets impact the environment is through their waste–that’s right, poop. Our nation’s dogs and cats produce more … Read more
Who among my fellow ’60-somethings’ doesn’t remember the scene in The Graduate when Dustin Hoffman, the newly-minted college grad, is given a single word of advice by a middle-aged businessman: “plastics.” Plastics, according to the older man, were the wave of the future and the route to the young man’s career success. Well, in a sense, … Read more