Choosing Health for the Planet and Therefore Humans
62
What an amazing planet we live on. It is full of life. The diversity of plants and animals is wondrous. Beauty abounds in every nook and cranny. From the vast oceans to the dew drop on a blade of grass, it is breathtaking. The health of this awesome world is imperative for sustaining our lives.
Fact: Earth will survive humans. The danger lies in creating such a toxic and depleted world that we will not survive as a species.
Excuses
We are bombarded with ads that tell us how to make our lives better by purchasing their product. These things are more efficient, do it faster, less work, beautiful, necessary, everyone has one, better, etc. They give us the rationale that makes us buy more and consider the environment less. There are many excuses we use:
- there is no other way to fix my clogged drain
- I am only going to use the toxic weed killer once
- gas-powered lawnmowers are more time efficient
- I can't afford to buy local or organic
- everybody else does it
- it is my right to do it the way I want
- there are too many things I would have to change.
We need to stop justifying the destruction of the eco-system that has sustained us. We must think of healthier alternatives. The time is now and each of us can do our part.
Start to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
This does not mean you need to go out and purchase a Prius or keep away from all packaged and processed foods. Make intentional choices that do not aid in the destruction of the natural environment in which we thrive. There are many simple things you can do:
- buy local
- recycle more
- let your lawn go dormant
- use goats instead of gas-powered lawnmowers
- lower the amount of packaged products you purchase
- cook from scratch which is often better for your health anyway
- bike or walk to destinations again can promote a more well-toned body
- garden
- plant trees
- stop drinking bottled water
- filter your tap water
- buy reusable bags for all your purchases
- when you buy from an espresso stand, bring your own container
- brew your own
- refill your ink cartridges instead of buying new ones
- use an electric razor instead of purchasing disposables
- cloth diapers
- share
- use less
- be aware
Each step that you take to change can aid in protecting wildlife, biodiversity, air quality, clean water and so much more. Please take the time to learn what is needed and then take the steps to promote a healthy Earth. It is the only planet we have.
Stop Following the Crowd; Make Choices For the Future
The next time you walk into a store: STOP! Look around! Take a deep breath! Change your focus! See all the manufactured things all around you. Think of the animals, the people and the resources it took to make and transport what is around you. Be aware! Buy eco-friendly cleaner, bring your own bags, ask to borrow something instead of buying it and purchase locally. Every little bit helps and every choice you make matters.
- A Healthy Planet starts here... :: Healthy Planet
A web-site for steps toward a healthy planet
Willaim McDonough On Cradle to Cradle Sustainability- ted.com
- William McDonough on cradle to cradle design | Video on TED.com
TED Talks Green-minded architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account "all children, all species, for all time."
Alex Steffen Sees a Sustainable Future-ted.com
- Alex Steffen sees a sustainable future | Video on TED.com
TED Talks Worldchanging.com founder Alex Steffen argues that reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is incredibly vital now, as the western consumer lifestyle spreads to developing countries.
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (2)
- Funny
- Awesome (1)
- Beautiful
- Interesting (1)
CommentsLoading...
Your encouragement is invaluable. Thank you also for your inspiring hubs.
Nice job on your hub. I am a big fan of ted.com. What an awesome collection of great thinkers and doers.
Your title is my motto! It's amazing that people don't get that connection. Great hub!
Thank you Melis Ann for reading my hub. What a great motto to have.
Thank you for the great hub! More people need this message.
Voted up!
A great hub on how to make a better future for our children and people in general. Our natural resources must be used wisely and we must respect nature's balance accordingly. Sustainability applies to all people. Make homes that are green or aesthically pleasing (like Frank Loyd Wright), buy organic, recyle and reuse are all good ways to help the cause. Hear! Hear! Voted up!
That's right! If human beings do not get serious about the future habitability of the planet, there will be dark days ahead. Voted up.
Sorry for not responding sooner. I am just learning hub pages. Thank you for your positive feedback.
Agreed and regardless of when or if global warming will destroy us, we need to treat this planet with reverence. It is our existence and our live. Thank you for the vote up.
Thank you for this much needed message King, I so agree with all the messages here.
Voted Up!
Thank you Curiad. I wish that people could understand that every little bit they do matters.
Recycling has really taken off in my local community. It's all about changing attitudes and the throw away culture. Whenever we throw anything away, we literally strip what we can to recycle. For example, we'll separate the paper sleeves from all our tinned goods and recycle both parts. I'm not joking when I say that our landfill type waste is now less than 20% of what it was a couple of years ago. But I'm sure I can get this down further. We've also moved to a water meter. It's amazing how little water we waste now that we can monitor the usage.
That is so cool that you are taking your time to recycle. When communities band together change occurs. Thank you for being a good steward of the earth.
Thanks for this wonderful hub. When my husband and retired, we reinvented ourselves and began farming in order to demonstrate how sustainable living could be accomplished by anyone who is serious. I don't think we are going to save the planet, but we are not going to hurt it any more. One thing people don't realize about the idea of "sustainability" is that it has more to do with how we protect the environment than how we eat. Who would have thought that dirt could wear out? It took us a while to learn a lot of things, and we are still learning. I was lucky, however, because I had never cooked using prepared food,so I never had to relearn how to feed my family. Keep writing about this, and I will, too.
Thank you, Wizzie. I will do my best to write more. I am always excited to meet new people who understand the importance of caring for the earth.
I spend a lot of time trying to pass along the word. There's really nothing more important. I teach Literature at the local university and my students read articles and stories that inform them. They are usually very interested and we have some very dynamic conversations.
Each movement in that direction is a step to start the avalanche towards caring for the earth. Thank you for reading and for passing the word along to the next generation.
billybuc Level 8 Commenter 3 months ago
Thank you for the reminder; I love your committment to all things healthy and in particular to the planet and living things...keep writing because your words need to be heard.