Simple Suggestion #277... Change for Climate

With hurricanes Florence, Helene, and Isaac, and Super Typhoon Mangkut besieging different places today, and with the weather abnormalities, droughts and wildfires we've seen across our planet this summer, it's past time to do everything we can to slow climate change. I suspect those who follow these moodlings are already taking as many steps as we can to reduce our fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions... but maybe there are still a few that we haven't considered. The Simple Suggestions moodled here are designed to get us thinking about ways to work, live, consume, be entertained, and travel in ways that do less harm to our planet, but there's no way I've covered every option!

Change for Climate is one of the City of Edmonton's efforts toward making Edmontonians aware of ways that we can live more lightly on our earth, for the sake of our future. For too long, we've been too relaxed about changing our living and consumption patterns, but suddenly we seem to be at a "tipping point." This isn't a future problem, it's here now. Weeks of smoky grey skies and the early snowstorm that damaged crops and tied up this morning's traffic are bringing reality home, I hope. We clearly have to do more to lessen our impact on our environment.

So today's Simple Suggestion is to check out the programs and 30 actions (and counting) suggested at Change for Climate if you haven't yet, to see what more you can do. Even if you're not from Edmonton, the ideas are applicable almost anywhere. Some are easy, others more difficult. But we can all do something.

As the video says, it's time to change for climate, before climate changes everything.

90 Ways to 90%

http://www.90waysto90.com

The City of Edmonton has this really cool thing going on. Besides already having an amazing rate of 60% waste diversion from residential sources through recycling and composting at its state-of-the-art Waste Management facilities, it's started a new program to encourage all Edmontonians to get our residential waste diversion up to 90% through simple, personal initiatives.

It's called 90 Ways to 90% Less Waste, and there's a website with 90 possibilities that individuals can adopt in their daily lives -- sort of like some of my more environmentally aware 200+ Simple Suggestions, but even cooler, because of the snazzy website, AND there's a contest! People are invited to choose from the 90 Ways and send 30 second videos illustrating how they've incorporated those ways to reduce waste into their lives. And there are great ideas among them -- like grasscycling (11 ways), composting (14 ways), using ecostations (12 ways), reducing consumption (13 ways), reusing (24 ways), and recycling (16 ways). I'm not much of a videographer, but I couldn't resist making a little reuse video and sending it in. #9, in case you're curious.

So if you're interested in some Simple Suggestions for reducing waste where you live, take a peek at 90waysto90.com by clicking here. It's got great interactive possibilities if you're creative, and even if you're not, the 90 ways are worth reading -- and adopting. Waste is a justice issue on our planet, whether we realize it or not. Carelessly using things up, tossing them and making a mess of creation isn't good for our earth, ourselves, or the interconnected web of life within which we live. But if each of the seven billion folks on this planet tries to reduce our waste of resources as much as possible, hopefully, the ecosystem's health will improve.

I'm with Margaret Mead when she says: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Let's all be thoughtful and committed when it comes to reducing our waste. 100% less waste would be even better, but I'd take 90% quite happily! So, after reading the City's Ways, I have some work to do...

Grasscycling, Part II

Back at the beginning of May, I made a Simple Suggestion (#120) about grasscycling. Well, now my wonderful city has come up with a great contest to encourage more people to grasscycle... meaning, let your clippings lie instead of bagging them and wasting all the resources it takes to dispose of them. Really, it's the healthiest thing you can do for your lawn, because the nitrogen in the clippings returns to the grass' roots, and as mulch, it prevents the lawn from getting dehydrated in drier weather.

And even if you don't live in Edmonton, please give some serious consideration to the idea of letting nature take care of your grass clippings instead of forcing your local waste management folks to deal with them. It's another indirect way to help save the planet.

And here's a great little video starring my friend Gary (he's a great guy!), who explains everything you need to know about grasscycling. If there's still something you don't understand, don't hesitate to contact me, your grasscycling-Master-Composter/Recycler-moodler!