16
Jun
Posted by Djuna Woods as Going Green, Humanity, Recycling, Weekend
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Every pair makes a difference. Let your worn out shoes play on!” Nike ReUse a Shoe Campaign Slogan.
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At one time, recycling was a pipe dream. Anything you purchased you threw out when you were done with it. Glass, tin, paper, etc all were shipped to the incinerator every trash day. Then, the concept of recycling was discovered and in time it was popularized. Yes, there were a number of people who shook their head at the notion of recycling bins. In time, however, people began to realize the benefit of this and recycling started to become extremely popular. In fact, so popular we are recycling many things we never thought could possibly be recycled. One such area is the world of shoes.
Currently, one of the biggest promoters of shoe recycling is the Nike Corporation. Nike has developed a Reuse-A-Shoe program that does with shoes exactly what bottling companies have done with bottles and cans. Well, almost…you see the shoes are not recycled into new shoes. They are actually “converted” into materials earmarked for other purposes. How does this work? Basically, the material in the shoes is first melted down. Then, they are shaped into new material for reuse in athletic surfaces such as basketball courts, tennis courts and athletic field. Yes, after trampling on these fields the shoe will suffer the poetic justice of becoming the surface.
Best of all, this Reuse-A-Shoe program takes discarded sneakers out of their original destination: landfills. Nike has locations throughout the USA, Europe and Australia. Clearly, the Reuse-A-Shoe Program is a huge plus for the environment. Nike really deserves a pat on the back for its efforts! |
10
Jun
Posted by Djuna Woods as Going Green, Weekend
Last weekend I went to the Greenfair Silicon Valley at the San Jose Convention Center. As I walked past the more than 150 exhibitors my energy began to drop and I started to feel depressed. Every booth was filled with salespeople who were passionate about their product and helping the world. There were so many good causes, so many earth friendly products and so many ways to reduce my carbon footprint that it made me want to run to my air conditioned SUV for cover.
Still reeling from the information overload of the weekend, today I received an email from a friend with a link to a website which traces the life of some consumer products from extraction to disposal. Check out http://www.storyofstuff.com if want a good cry. It is better than The Titanic.
When stricken with a bout of eco-overwhelm, the following five steps can help you regain a balanced sense of perspective:
- Pick one thing to focus on : One of the things that overwhelmed me at the Greenfair was the number of things the vendors were advising me to do.One vendor grabbed my hand and made me feel how lifelike artificial grass is and explained to me how much water it saves.Another stuck an elephant dung postcard in my face and said by buying his stationary I would be saving the elephants.Another good soul pulled me to the side to discuss building my own backyard compost.Just as I was getting ready to leave a rep from AAA stopped me in the aisle and enrolled me in a contest.I answered correctly and won a tire air pressure gauge because driving with full tires saves on fuel.I felt filled with hope.Making sure my tires are filled with air is something I can do.Elephants, composting, and artificial grass are too much right now.Tires I can handle.
- Get a green buddy : I have a friend who has made it her mission to recycle ALL things whether they go to a facility to be recycled or she finds a home for them with someone else. She has chosen recycling as one of her primary areas of focus to help the world.She and a friend joined forces to network and support each other in their recycling efforts.Their motto is “Nothing in the landfill.”Just like you are more inclined to workout if you have a friend waiting for you at the gym, it is easier to meet your eco goals if you have a partner in the effort.
- Just say no It is ok to say no : You can’t do everything.In order to say yes to your area of focus you must say no to all of the other causes trying to get your attention.I said “Yes” to focusing on full tires at the Greenfair and “No” to saving the elephants.The trick is not feeling guilty about the things you say no to. One way to work it out in your mind is that it is more effective to just have a few causes you focus on and really put some effort into rather than scattering yourself across a number of different green initiatives.
- Do the math : When you know where you are and where you want to go it helps reduce feelings of overwhelm.There are a number of carbon footprint calculator web sites where you can get a base reading on your energy consumption. One of the best is the Personal Emissions Calculator offered by the EPA. The calculator tells you where you are currently and how you compare to the American average. As soon as I saw my numbers in comparison with US averages, my competitive nature kicked in and I could see where I needed to improve and what I needed to do to get there.Instead of being overwhelmed, I felt challenged.
- Complete one task : Pick one thing on your eco to do list and do it.Fill up your tires with air.Clean out your closet.Go to paperless bill pay.It doesn’t matter how big or small it is.Just do something.It will make you feel better and get the momentum going.
Have you been struggling with eco-overwhelm? If so, how have you been dealing with it?
23
May
Posted by Djuna Woods as Humanity, Weekend
If you are interested in helping humanity it is easy to feel a little down after watching the news. After all, it would seem like most of the news on television is usually quite morbid. There is a reason for this: negativity and alarmism is often what drives ratings. Sadly, providing tips on how to make the world a better place little by little just doesn’t sell on cable news. No worries, however, we can provide a few solid tips right here. None of these tips center on anything complicated and they can all be done over the weekend with little effort.
1. Go to a Farmer’s Market. The farm industry is in a mild depression these days and is often reliant on government subsidies. When you purchase directly from a farmer’s market you are putting your money directly in the pocket of the farmers. Plus, you get to walk away with decent organic food as well!
2. Visit the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army shops provide a valuable service providing clothes to those who are disadvantaged. The Salvation Army, however, can not succeed if no one donates clothes. So, why not clear out your closet and give your extra clothes to the Salvation Army. They need your help and you would be doing the community a great service.
3. Donate Old Reading Material. Sadly, many people throw out their old magazines. This is unfortunate because libraries and senior centers would really welcome the donation. If you are an avid reader and have a number of old magazines why not give it to those who would welcome them.
4. Give Blood. There is a reason why there are so many blood drives during the year. This is because there is always a need for blood and blood shortages can prove very problematic. (In cases of natural disasters such shortages are dangerously problematic) As such, donating blood over the weekend would be a huge benefit to humanity. The American Red Cross has many locations which are open on Saturday.
5. Drive peacefully. Yes, sometimes it is the simple things that work the most. Driving safely makes the roads safe and averts accidents. Driving politely and sanely is always a good choice.
What are you doing this weekend to help the world?
