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Live with less: reduce consumption and clutter

4/23/2020

 
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Reduce, reuse, recycle.  This has become a familiar mantra, but they are not all of equal value to lessening our impact on the planet.  Recycling is great to do and helps give more life to some materials such as paper, aluminum and some plastics, reducing our need to extract new raw materials.  Even better is reusing items that have already been created and assembled, decreasing the need to replace them as frequently.  Using environmental impact help guide our buying choices still results in acquiring more stuff.  The most impactful is to reduce or refuse: if we just buy less stuff, we reduce up front the need to extract resources, burn fuel for shipping, create packaging that is thrown out as soon as we take it home, and deal with the waste that is produced throughout the life of the item, from its production to the point it is no longer useful.  Take a hard look at your purchases.  Ask yourself if it is something you really need.  Think about where it will be a month later – will it still be useful?  How about a year later?  Will it just be adding to clutter in your house?  Living with too much clutter creates its own kind of stress.  This also applies to giving gifts to others: give experiences or donations to a favorite charity in place of giving stuff.  Find satisfaction in your life through ways other than stuff.  You and the earth will be happier for it.

Photo by Mike Mozart, Flickr


Go outside and enjoy green spaces, then protect them

4/17/2020

 
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While we are all waiting in our homes for the Covid-19 pandemic to pass, it is still recommended to get outside and exercise.  You can experience nature safely even with just a walk through your neighborhood or sitting in your yard. As we move into spring, listen for the plethora of birds that are now singing, admire the flowers that have begun to bloom, and take notice of leaves on the trees and young plants that are starting to emerge and grow.  Being in the outdoors has great health benefits as a way to de-stress,  improve your sense of happiness and well-being, and has even been connected to lower levels of sickness.  Take this time to reflect on how important green spaces are to our general health, well-being, and enjoyment. 

Next, take steps to preserve natural areas for the time beyond coping with a pandemic. Support organizations and legislation that protect our natural areas.  Participate in park clean-up events in your community to remove trash and invasive species. Create more natural space in your own yard be replacing lawn with native plants that provide cover, flowers, and berries and other food sources for wildlife.  You will be happier for it!

Photos by Susan O'Donnell



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