SOMETHING SMELLS
NEGROS DAILY BULLETIN
By Tina M. Monfort
There is nothing that inspires us to start doing everything better like the prospect of starting the new year once again. The promise and excitement of a new year provides the perfect opportunity to pledge our allegiance to a greener lifestyle.”
So whether you want to start with a few little changes or dive head-on into a more eco-friendly lifestyle, consider the impact of what your decisions can have on the environment. For this coming new year, do not consider making resolutions that only help you, but resolutions that will help the generations to come. Nurturing and protecting our environment is very important, I cannot reiterate this enough...today, as my year-ender, I shall be presenting a list of resolutions we can follow to live GREENER.
*Look for Recycling opportunities. Have that recyclable bin nearby and just dunk everything in, that needs to be recycled like used bottles, cans, containers, etc. If you are not interested in selling them to the junk shops, just give them away as fReECYCLED items (recycled items to be given out for free). Oh what a treat! Give up using paper napkins, paper towels, or both. Buy a few sets of organic cloth napkins. Clean up spills with old towels that are cut into smaller squares and then toss them into the laundry. Don’t drive when you can walk. Good for both the environment, and your health! Save on water. Turn off the faucet while you’re brushing your teeth. Take shorter showers or turn off the water while you’re soaping up. Better yet, take a (quick) shower with someone you love. How’s that for saving water? Rethink how much you water your lawn. Deeper watering is more effective than more frequent watering. Although, you should also be looking at your overall landscape and figure out how to make it more suited to your climate. Cut back on consumerism. Buy only what you need and buying used items whenever possible. You save on money and reduce your consumption of the natural resources, labor and energy needed to produce new consumer products. Buy items that use little or no packaging, or “buy in bulk” which reduces unnecessary and excessive packaging. Find ways to use items over and over again. Buy Green! Buy Organic! Buy Local! Cook more at home. Think of all the plastics and Styrofoam that fill up our landfills everyday. Improve your community. Every action you take to help your community becomes healthy and self-sustaining is a step toward becoming less dependent on long-distance commuting and products shipped from far away. Encourage hands-on gardening for your produce or VERMI-composting from yard clippings, vegetable peelings, even coffee grounds. Home composters or the African Night Crawlers are available in Buro-Buro (0918-8888424).
Make your home a toxic-free environment. Keep your home healthy by reducing unnecessary toxic chemicals. Paints, solvents and other chemicals should be disposed of safely, not flushed down the toilet or poured down the drain. Baking soda and vinegar substitute as good all-purpose cleaners. Go organic with Messy Bessy products (09209613901) or make your own (http://bahabacolod.blog.com) Talk to your co-workers about carpooling. Carbon monoxide fills the air with several people all commuting to the same place, why not hitch a ride or take turns? Plant a tree. Trees are pretty to look at, can provide shade in the summer and perfect for cleaning up the air around us. They provide homes for birds and other animals too. Say no to plastics. When shopping, bring a reusable bag. A plastic bag can take 500 years to decompose. Canvas reusable bags are now available at Pelts, Bob’s Big Boy and Cafi Bobs. Perfect for your grocery needs. For smaller items that can fit your pocket or your bag, just request the stores to attach the receipt on the item. Get political. Change for the better happens, when people - citizens - demand it and work for it. If lobbying or volunteering isn’t your thing, you can still work for positive changes by writing letters to the editor, sending emails and signing online petitions.
*If you are not the type of person to carry and use cloth bags while shopping (hmmmm...the MEN perhaps?) please resolve to reuse and reuse and reuse. Here are a few more tips for you gentlemen... Gas up when it’s coolest. Fill your tank when adding gas and try to arrange to get gas early in the morning or after the sun sets. This will help minimize the vapors that are released. Use rechargeable batteries. Purchase a battery charging station and some rechargeable batteries for the items you use around your house the most. A good battery recharging system means you will go through fewer batteries and save money in the long run. Figure out how many batteries of each type you will need and get a system that can cope with your needs. Check your air pressure. Maintain the correct air pressure in your tires. Save wear and gas. Clean your air filters. Clean or replace your air filters once a month so your air conditioning system runs more efficiently. Save up your errands. If possible, try to save your errands to run all at once. Cutting down on the trips will result in less gas being used and gain you some free time! Change to low-energy light bulbs. Also cut down on the power that your appliances use by unplugging them while not in use or plug them into a power strip you can conveniently switch off. And finally, I end with my personal resolution. I will put my money where my beliefs are. Whenever feasible, I will buy products from companies that promote the same causes I believe in, and operate in a sustainable and responsible manner. I encourage everyone to do the same as well. Simple changes in our lifestyle can make a big difference. We are in a very critical period of human history and our response can very well save the future of this planet.
Hope shines!*
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