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Departments Environment Ten simple things that you can do to save the Earth Here is the list: 1. Be nice to people. Even to people you don't like (examples: Republicans, Greens, Democrats, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Clintonville liberals with dogs, East-Side ganga rappers, Hilliard soccer moms who voted for Bush, Jim Traficant, yes, even Alberto Gonzales (although there, you might want to take an aspirin, too). Studies have shown that nice people plunder the planet less and that they are also less likely to start nuclear wars. 2. Drive nice I. Why is it that the more people you get on a crowded, busy road, the ruder and more aggressive they become? If the road is busy and crowded, shouldn't you slow down so that someone doesn't get hurt? Tailgaiting—stop it! It is rude and studies have shown that it is a dumb idea. Believe it or not, reducing the incidence of tailgaiting here in central Ohio will help reduce the threat of a war with Iran. 3. Drive nice II. To save the planet, get a station wagon. What is up with all these big trucks used as single-passenger commuter vehicles? (Examples: Explorers, Excursions, Highlanders, Humvees, Escalades, etc.—yeah, just what you need to negotiate the parking lot at Kroger). Dump your giant, wasteful SUV and get a Honda Civic. If you need more space, get a Subaru station wagon. Yes, they actually still sell station wagons. And drive slower on the freeway. It wastes a lot of fuel when you travel at 75 mph instead of 65 mph. Aerodynamic drag increases exponentially with vehicle velocity. Just ask a race-car designer or a Tour de France cycling team. 4. Recycle. Don't throw out paper, aluminum, and plastic if you don't have to. It saves energy and makes you feel good, too. Recycling does matter and don't listen to those who "pooh-pooh" it. Their thoughts are confused by plastic that has entered their bloodstream. 5. Don't make the suburbs bigger. Either live in the city or move to Circleville. Please don't keep buying those giant 3,950 square-foot houses in the outer suburbs. Many of us have purchased these things on overextended bank terms anyway. These gargantuan houses in the corn fields cause a lot of environmental and social problems. Move to Clintonville, get a dog, and hop on the #2 COTA bus line. Or move to Casper, WY. 6. Avoid eating meat. Eating a lot of meat is not good for the planet or for you. It is a waste of bioenergy. Each time that energy travels from one level of a food chain to the next, 90% of it is wasted. Eating plants exclusively reduces the tremendous amount of bioenergy wasted in feeding animals to be eaten as meat. There are too many people on this planet now for us all to keep eating three hamburgers and a pot roast every week. Plants are safer to eat, too. And why would you want to eat a mammal—don't they have intelligence and take care of their young just like you? It is probably spiritually insensitive to eat pork and beef, and if all Americans renounced pork today, we might have better relations with Islamic people around the world. 7. Don't use leaf blowers. These are the most evil and polluting devices known to mankind (or womankind). Get a rake (I use a floor broom). If you are old or infirm, you are allowed an exemption from rule #7. Otherwise, go to Ace Hardware and get a rake. Leaf blower noise can increase the risk of high blood pressure and suicide. More importantly, studies have shown that the skyrocketing homicide rate in Columbus is directly linked to the increased use of these devices. 8. Do something spiritual. You don't have to go to church, but do something to make yourself more calm and focused. Pray, meditate, do yoga, tai chi, zazen, levitate, or sing in the choir. But more people need to be more spiritual, or we are going to have more and more serious problems. Spiritual means Happy, so be Happy. Turn off the TV and listen to Celtic music. Meditate three times a week. Read the Bible with joy. Do something that inspires you. It will help us all. 9. Buy carefully. Avoid those businesses and products that you know are not good for people or the planet. Not sure what this means? Well, here are some examples: Stop buying Cadillac Escalades. Stop buying so much cheap, imported, plastic from Wal-Mart. Cut back on those big Porterhouse steaks. Don't have a Starbucks coffee in Bexley when there is a perfectly good Cup of Joe that was there first. Stop in and visit Ed Bain at the food co-op in Clintonville. 10. Look at the big picture and be creative. Avoid getting yourself into narrow ideological traps (especially when a lot of money is involved). Ignore those that hold onto the old, negative ways of doing things. Think outside the box. Start your own business making biodiesel or give up your high-powered corporate lawyer job to teach ninth-grade science. You will feel better when you wake up in the morning. And don't forget to kiss your wife in the morning and pet your dog. --- Jack Byrom holds a B.A. degree in environmental science from Capital University. His first job out of college in the post-9-11 economy was driving a semi-truck, and he drinks fair-trade, shade-grown coffee. He now works in the field of scientific publishing in Columbus, Ohio. |
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Nation’s largest retailers accused of organic fraud Stop the Nuke Loan Bailout!: Harvey Wasserman with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! 3 reasons to stop the nuclear power bailout Eight European governments. say nuclear power is incompatible with sustainable development Bad week for Bush on climate, but what now? Aurora Dairy threatens to sue public interest groups, attempt to intimidate organic watchdogs Secret USDA enforcement action revealed Aurora Farm’s certifier found to have willfully violated NOP rules USDA finds largest organic dairy perpetrating fraud fails to levy fines or yank certification Enforcement hammer falls on nation’s largest organic factory dairy Aurora Organic Dairy signs consent agreement with USDA's agricultural marketing service C.L.E.A.N.- Community, Labor, Environmental Action Network Nuclear power: follow the money USDA cracking down on “organic” factory farms country's largest dairy likely to lose certification USDA plan to "Pasteurize" almonds has consumers going nuts Study: organic dairy and meat improves quality of mothers’ breast milk Speaking truth to power Ohio Environmental Council’s Comments on U.S. Department of Energy’s Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership A live Earth - the alternative online concert against climate change Making history in Atlanta Organic animal agriculture threatened by genetically engineered alfalfa Regulators slap Wal-Mart for misleading organic consumers Federal court orders first-ever halt to planting of a commercialized genetically-altered crop Green beacon The future of Earth Climate: time is short “Rachel Carson turns in her grave," an open letter to Patricia M. DeMarco, Director, Rachel Carson Homestead Association Target global warming, target Exxon Solartopia! An achievable vision of a sustainable future Ten simple things that you can do to save the Earth USDA and agribusiness conspire to mislead consumers Good, clean, green way to generate electricity is approved by city in San Diego County Federal judge orders first-ever moratorium on sale of genetically-altered seed Piketown, Ohio Nuclear reprocessing: dangerous, dirty, and expensive U.S. nuclear fuel reprocessing initiative Organic watchdog, USDA headed to court Listen Gore: Some inconvenient truths about the politics of environmental crisis UN climate change report on global warming Organic fraud: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. accused of widespread distortion nonorganic food products misidentified as "organic" Read Environment Articles by Year: |
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