Earth Day Digital Scrapbook Freebies
At A Little Digital there are a lot of free digital scrapbook kits. They are selected randomly. Check back from time to time and you will find more. You have to log in to get them. And by logging in you can request a newsletter that will provide upcoming new kits and specials.
I think the Earth is a beautiful place and I would like to keep it that way. It takes effort and the willingness to change. For every dollar that I make on Earth Day, I will contribute 50 cents towards making environmental changes in my community.
Are Aliens Preparing Earth to Suit Their Needs?
In case you haven’t heard, global warming is a real concern. This concern is greater than drug abuse, greater than gang wars, greater than our need for a health care plan, greater than anything that has ever crossed our paths. Are you going to sit back and watch while we (the bad aliens) wait for government to do something about it?
I like to use the movie “Independence Day,” with Will Smith to hit home how well the world rallied to the defense of our planet. People were united, all working for a single cause, to annihilate the aliens. So what is it about humans that they have to wait until the last minute to take a stand and work together? Crisis management seems to be a way of life. So how do we get the masses to rally without a crisis?
I explored this possibility on a small scale by requesting a fiancee to quit smoking. He was quite convincing that he had quit. Did he? No! Just not doing it while he was around me. As for the relationship. History. And he went back to smoking. This is just a small example of “forced change.” He didn’t try to change for himself but for me. People need to rally around making the world a better place because they want a better place for their children and grandchildren.
And how many people actually want to change? They like their cars, their fancy homes, their smart clothes. When Jesus was hiring his disciples he requested only the men who could leave their families and their possessions behind. We can’t all be disciples but we can certainly help carry the torch.
If 90% of the people are more concerned about the aesthetics of whether wind turbines are going to ruin the landscape or create noise pollution does that mean the 10% of us that feel that this is justifiable have no recourse in the matter because of the ignorance of the masses? How many of these projects have been rejected by the popular vote? Upon rejection what can we do?
I recently watched a movie on the Green Planet called “The Age of Stupid” that depicted a historian from the future showing movie clips up to the demise of our planet. It was particurlary interesting how everything was tied to OIL. Americans, British, Canadians, Australians and other countries with a high demand for “things” is driving the world’s consumerism to need more oil. Oil is used in almost everything we touch.
Plastic is a by-product of oil. Environmental news from L.A. claims 6 billion plastic bags are used per year and only 5% are recycled. The rest is being burnt or placed in land fills. How much does this cost for the sanitation department? Estimates of $25 million per year.
Consider oil used for driving your car or flying in an airplane and the amount of CO2 omissions that is produced. A 300 mile trip in a medium sized passenger car produces 228.8 pounds of CO2, regardless of the number of passengers, while a commercial airline produces 404.8 pounds of CO2 per passenger. Airplanes require massive amounts of fuel. We travel because we can afford it. In poor countries, people don’t fly.
The poor countries are the countries that are being exploited. Countries in Africa where “Big Oil” is destroying their land, the water they fish in and promise to make things better and don’t. Poor countries are receiving our trash. From electronic parts, to shoes and old clothes. When was the last time you bought a new pair of shoes? And did you wear out the pair that were on your feet?
What can we do as a planet to make things better?
1. We can recycle our plastic bags, bottles, aluminum, paper and tin instead of just throwing it in the trash or burning it.
2. We can ask our employers for 4 day work weeks so that we cut down 1 day of driving and use less gas. Or if the job can be done at home, ask your employer to let you work from home.
3. We can replace all the light bulbs with efficient compact fluourescents.
4. Plant a garden. This will save money at the grocery store and make you feel good at the same time.
5. Demand that car companies produce cars that consumers can afford with no CO2 ommissions.
6. Replace heat and air conditioners with fuel efficient geo-thermal coils that run on electricity instead of gas.
7. Replace water heaters with updated energy compliant ones.
8. Vote for wind turbines and solar panels and take a stand to see that they are completed.
9. Replace windows or caulk them and reinforce with plastic sheets to keep drafts down.
10. Insulate walls and attics to make your existing air conditioner/heater use less fuel.
11. Ask yourself, “Do I need this?” when purchasing that plastic doll for your daughter that ultimately ends up in the trash.
Written by: Celinda Snow
Tags: air · carbon · clean · environment
