I came across this info by checking out a mention of the event I read last night on lakeviewer's blog. I thought surely a few of the many other blogs I 'follow' would also make mention as participants and I'm rather surprised none have. I wonder - is it because the majority of the bloggers I read are focussed on creativity, art, home life and internal spiritual concerns and as a rule in order to nurture ourselves we tend to isolate, retreat and cocoon ourselves from the influences of society and politics, withdrawing to a smaller and more distinct community? Don't we in part do whatever it is we do to express how the world touches us and to leave our fingerprints so to speak on the world we touch? How can we BE creative and artistic and totally separate our art, writing and nesting efforts from our external environment?
I live about as isolated a life as I would ever want to. It's by NO MEANS always been so but sometimes I can go for weeks without ever touching or being touched by another, and yet I touch and am touched by things I consume, wear, read, watch and hear that others have touched in their production and manufacture. Many of the objects within my space are hand me downs or thrift/junk store acquisitions that have been in someone else's life before mine. My soul and spirit are touched by the inhabitants of the online world beyond my physical capacity to ever reach but I hope that I sometimes have touched another soul and spirit that way as well. It MATTERS to me, even in my relative isolation, what happens 'out there'. The global climate and how it affects the inhabitants of our planet matters and what difference/influence I can make matters.
After becoming aware of Blog Action Day, I went browsing through some of the registered blogs and it quite literally can make one's head spin. Some were SO political and almost militaristically activist in tone with soooooooooo much statistics. Others were so preachy and overwhelming they would make a hellfire and brimstone evangelist look meek as a rabbit by comparison.
You never know what vein you're going to open by clicking on some of the registered blogs, but I learned ALOT and took away alot to ponder over a cuppa - what can and do I do to shrink my carbon footprint on the planet?
To be perfectly honest, I've always had an environmental lean - was an activist 'back in the day', before being swept away in babies and toddlers and school age children. Because of that lean from my early years I've thus always found it easy to conserve consumption of resources. By necessity I thought of it through those years with children under my roof in part as being frugal about the financial expenditures as well. But even still... I have a tendency to use it up and wear it out before replacing anything at all. I'm pretty dilligent about conserving fuel by combining errands all into one trip by car. I do most laundry in the late evening when less power is required commercially in the area and never run the washing machine or dryer without a FULL load and often drip dry many items. (I was astounded a few weeks ago to see a story on CBS Sunday Morning about a woman who faces prosecution for violating a city ordinance for hang drying her clothing on a clothesline! On her own property...GOOD GRIEF!) I get as much reading and chores and such done as possible during daylight and NEVER leave lights on in an empty room. Passive temperature control is accomplished through most of the hot summer here in CA by letting cool night air in and closing windows to daytime heat. In the winter, I'll put on a sweater, heavier weight clothing, cozy socks and an extra blanket on a bed before even thinking of turning on the heat. (of course, it helps that windows are double paned and shaded too) I never use something with a cord to do something that can be done by hand instead - for example: mixer, screw driver, vacuum/sweeper, hair dryer, etc. If hot water and a soapy rag will get it clean, why use a chemical cleaner/spray? And dish rags/towels look pretty in a basket or on a hook and can do almost anything better that paper towels would be used for. I shop thrift stores and yard/junk sales - it saves me money (and I find and rescue 'hidden tresures') AND it reduces unnecessarily having things fill up limited solid waste disposal areas and it reduces the need for duplicate manufacturing, transport, marketing and packaging of many items. Those are just 'off the top of my head' ways I can think of that I habitually do things so as to be environmentally conservative.
After some of the BAD blogs I read I've embraced a few new intentions: 'Meatless Mondays' or any other day(s) of the week - meat demand and consumption by non-vegetarian consumers increases water consumption by 20% per pound of meat versus vegetables and fruits, I learned. I'm looking to learn what plants I can responsibly add to my immediate surroundings in next year's garden that are drought tolerant. I will pay attention and opt for less disposible 'packaging' in retail items I purchase. I will actively seek and support local, state and national candidates who are willing to support and work toward environmentally responsible policies. I will stop watching and start writing letters to the shows on HGTV that I so enjoy who repeatedly advocate replacing perfectly good fixtures, appliances, etc. simply because they're 'dated' - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! LOL
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