i see trees of green

Tomorrow is my “youngest, older ” daughter’s birthday. I’m proud to call her my daughter. She is a wonderful woman. She has strength of character and a resilience seldom found in one so young. She is dedicated, with a sense of purpose as well as a great sense of humor. She’s independent, smart, caring, supportive and loving. She listens before making up her mind and she allows others their say. She is generous with her parents, supportive of her siblings and appreciative of her main squeeze.

She is making a difference in so many ways. Ways that many of us could follow. It’s the little things that matter. Taking your own bag to the grocery store, recycling paper, glass and plastic, combining your errands, using safe non-toxic cleaning and laundry products. She is looking at purchasing her next vehicle; a hybrid. These actions and the many wonderful traits that she has , make me proud to call her “My Daughter”.

Happy Birthday. You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. I love you.

Mom

This is the time of the year when everyone is concerned with resolutions for the new year. Why not resolve to do your part to keep the planet green. Close your eyes for a moment and picture your favorite park in shades of brown with lots of cement. Then, picture in your mind that same park in shades of green with plenty of trees, flowers and bushes. Which scene do you prefer? Of course, there are those parks that do not have much green, such a Bryce or Arches in Utah and they are beautiful beyond words. There green takes on a different meaning as it truly does when it comes to “being green”. When we speak of “being green”, it means different things to different people. Overall, it means to protect and care for our planet. It means to take an active role in maintaining, not using and destroying.

Stop for a moment, think about how you, one person can make a difference. If your an outdoor person, you have many options; plant a tree or donate to a cause that plants millions of trees. If you have weeds, pick them, don’t put a chemical on them. Remember, the birds and other small critters in the area are a part of our environment and do not deserve to be served a diet of chemicals. If you are an indoor person, you can help by using green products to clean yourself, your laundry and your house. To find out more about your options, check out the link Green Home.

Creating a healthy environment in your home should take top priority.  Especially if you have a child or you are a grandparent, uncle or aunt and have children visiting your home. According to a 2002 study published in the Journal of Toxicology, children are more vulnerable to chemical toxins than adults. My favorite health company Shaklee has partnered with Healthy Child Healthy World a non-profit organization that is dedicated to protecting the health and well being of children from harmful environmental exposures. It is their combined goal to help educate the public about healthier solutions and products in the marketplace. They stress 5 Easy Steps to obtaining a healthy home.

1. Avoid using pesticides
2. Clean Safely
3. Help children breathe easier
4. Provide healthy food
5. Use plastics wisely

You can read the entire message at http://shaklee.com/causes_heal……hild.shtml

I believe that an informed consumer makes better choices. So, start to educate yourself. You can access a number of sources. If you want to find out about current products that you are using go to the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine Household Products Database. Other sources of information would be the EPA sites, or University sites such as www.berkeley.edu  and  look for media releases that discuss household chemicals. You have alternatives that are healthy for you, your child, and the planet. So, why not take that step.  Make a choice to be clean, green and healthy.

Each of us has the right and responsibility to protect our environment. There are many elements that make up our environment and water is only one of those but, a precious commodity here in the Southwest. Our aquafirs are drying up and we have been in a drought for 10 years. Here in Southern Arizona, we buy a portion of our water from the Colorado River Project and yes, we get rain some years but seldom enough to replenish what we have taken and often the rain comes in torrents that creates more problems than it solves. Currently it is monsoon time, which means that stormdrains and washes will be running high with water. People will have to be rescued from rushing waters that fill underpasses and low lying areas.

Antifreeze, Batteries, Oil and Paint are all accepted at our landfills and hazardous waste sites where they are properly disposed of. There is no need to dump these products or cuttings from trees and bushes in the washes but yet people do. These products as well as household cleaning products can and do pollute our washes and harm wildlife. These washes feed into rivers that run only when it rains unless, they are being used to dispose of treated water from our water treatment plants. This is the water that birds and other wild animals have to drink from. This is also the water that will eventually seep down into our aquafirs and once again become our drinking water.

It’s so easy to make a change and do the right thing. Dispose of products that are hazardous in a proper manner and start changing to products that are safe for you and our planet when you clean your home or do your laundry. It is hard for me to understand why we as the keepers of this planet put up with and tolerate what is made available to us by the large corporations. Send them a message; choose a better way.

No matter where you live, Arizona or New York, protect your rivers and lakes for they are our source of life.

Did you know that there is the same amount of water on the earth as when the earth was formed? What we have is all that we will ever have, just in different forms. Water moves in cycles; evaporation, condensation, precipitation, run off, and infiltration. Also, did you know that 98% of the earth’s water is saline? The 2% that remains must provide us with the water to nourish ourselves, our crops, our animals and even our electricity as in the case of hydro electric plants; all this and many more. Of the 2%, only 1% can be used for drinking. So who is taking care of our water? Read the rest of this entry »