what do you do?

what do you all do, if anything, to make differences in the world? that includes small simple things too, like waiting until trashbugs are completley full before taking them out to recycling to good deeds... anything at all you do to serve the earth or the family...

i think it would be good for us to all weigh and count the ways we effect this world, and ask ourselves if we are really doing enough, actually doing what we can, and making real use of the time and perfectly able minds we have been blessed with. are we really leaving the earth that much of a better place for all of the living things that will inevitably be forced into experiencing the harsh realities it has to offer?

 

the only good things i do is write, play guitar and try not to suck.

 

Great thread idea Fractual, I really do try my best to make this world a better place for all, and it seems for now my energies are turned to animal rescue. I dearly love great danes, have had them all my life and now foster the neglected and not wanted gentle giants until a forever home is found for them. It satisfies my soul to see one spend a couple of truly happy months or years feeling the love they deserve. Also, I am involved in a program we have begun with the homeless....the art gallery I show at takes art supplies, paints,canvas, clay, what have you, to the shelters and gets the folks there to create there own art work, then display it in the gallery. When a piece sells, the money is given to the shelter. Its a great program, I wish all galleries would do this. That is my life as of now. I wish I had more time for things I feel passionate about, but maybe I can do more soon! Edited to add that if I spent more time away from this forum Maybe I could do more......NAAAAA!!!

 

well i figure, writing things down usually helps me sort my feelings, thoughts, experiences, and ideas into something a little more usefull, organized, and managable, making things much more simple and easier, so maybe it is like that with other people too...

 

and i am also kind of curious, perhaps we can share some things others may not know about, and make an even bigger difference?

 

I'm glad I found this thread because last night it occured to me that i really do nothing to try to help the environment... I mean, I try not to litter, and I like to carpool, but that's really about it...

today i decided that i'm going to try to make some changes in my everyday life to try and help... like not eating meat because of the way it is produced and how it affects the ozone layer.. well the middle of the states is covered in cow pastures and farms that produce so much methane that it is tearing up the ozone layer. i also am going to start using organic products to clean with... isn't simple green supposed to be all-purpose and environmentally friendly?

hmm... i have a lot to think about. i do remember getting pamphlets in elementary to make changes to help out.. take short showers instead of baths, etc..

anyway, i'm rambling. but, I would like to see where this thread goes.

 

a hipforum environmentalist/protesting day? that'd actually be really fun..

 

I'm afraid I don't do much to help the environment, but I think I do things to make the world a better place. Mostly I just try to be a good person to everyone. I try to stay open minded and I try to understand and relate to people the best I can. When I disagree with someone I try to see their side of it, and if I'm angry or upset with someone I try to think about why I'm really upset and what their motives were. I've found that most of the time people are well intentioned, just inconsiderate, ignorant and selfish. Basically what I mean is, I try to stay true to The Golden Rule.

 

One of the simplest things one can do is take a burlap or netted bag to the grocery store. You can reuse these things forever and it stops the waste of plastic. The government would save tons of money if it simply issued every citizen a netted bag and told them to use it at stores. (and because it's a great idea that would work, it never gets implemented)

Turn off lights and the computer when not using them. Use flourescent lamps that are made to replace incandescents and are much more efficient. They screw right into the socket like a regular bulb. Set the furnace lower. People's comfort levels today are about 78F when they used to be 68F a generation ago.

Walk or ride a bike instead of a motor vehicle. It's fun, healthy, and non-polluting.

Buy a shower head with the special fine nozzle to save water. I sometimes shower and let the tub fill up with water, instead of letting it all go down the drain. I call it a shower-bath.

This may sound silly, but I go barefooted now whenever possible. It saves materials wasted on socks and shoes, which are a big non-recycleable mess of polymer and glue (much like those juice boxes). I walk a lot and used to buy new shoes about every six months that would fall apart. I've had the same shoes now for the past three years since I started walking and hiking barefooted.

 

Good thread here as we can share ideas and all learn a few things.

One of the main things we do here is to try and not be too much of a consumer.
When we are in need of something I always try not to buy it new, I'm talking about things other than underwear.

We also try to grow it or make it ourselves as much as possible.
We also like to barter.
We drive a small truck...4-cylinder that Larry can work on himself.
We use some solar power to take loads off our electrical needs.
I also try to share my knowledge when anyone asks.

I am fluent in American sign language and am on call in the winter time (when Larry is home) with the sheriffs department and 2 hospitals in the county.
I tutor a young boy on my road with his reading and he helps me in my garden.
We catch rain water to reuse in the garden and have a gray-water system set up for what we use in the house.
We make our own beer.
We carry no debt. other than a monthly land payment.
We use the library for books, tapes, cd's and movies.
I have an extremly great long distance service for my phone.
I use natural remedies.


I think saving money where possible is very important, there are alot of "things" we don't need that are being constantly pushed on us.
We help ourselves and the Earth by not consuming so much.
I also try to spread alot of love around....
teepi

 

tigerlily, thats so perfect, i'm afraid that is all some of us can do, is just be concious of our every day activities and the effects we really do have on the earth and all of the living things around us, i think thats great your starting to change your habits before its too late...

i also really like what shaggie and teepi have to say, not being wasteful or consuming, one great way not consume so much is to look through trash when you need something or even when you dont, you would be surprised(or maybe you wouldnt) at how thoughtless and careless people are about what they throw away, i have found some REALLY nice stuff doing that, and anything i find that is nice but i dont like, goes right to the thrift store, which is another perfect way to not consume much and give in to the man.

monday evening around 7:30, i am sorting recycables and trash that i put in my backpack from a local park earlier today, and i really got the feeling that i am the only one who gives a shit at all. i thought about all the people around me, eating their mush, getting cozy by the television that programs their mind, and it gave whole new meaning to the phrase rot in hell...

is it so much to ask to just care for something other than yourself, even if your remain selfish and hateful, can't you at least pretend to care!?

 

All of you have some really great ideas.

Shaggie, that's a great idea about the bags. It's something simple that we are all capable of doing. I recently bought a netted bag myself for this very purpose. And I'm right there with you guys on the barefooting, and recycling and giving away reusable stuff to thrift stores. Those are all helpful and would make such a difference if only more people would take the time to participate. But I don't really think that I do as much for the environment as I should either. I'm also trying to use more environmental friendly products. It doesn't always seem like much, but we have to start somewhere.

And teepi, I think you really addressed one of our biggest problems: consumerism. People today are so caught up in the idea that they have to have everything their selfish, greedy hearts desire. Fortunately some of us know there is more to life than material goods. It's just a matter of helping others break through this vicious cycle of consuming more and more products, which is quite a challenge in our corrupt capitalistic society.

I've also been getting much more active in politcs lately, with our new club and everything at school. And just trying to educate more ignorant people on the subject.

People just have absolutely no clue what is going on anymore. It's sad really.

 

This is a great thread!!! I love hearing what others are doing.

Like teepi our family has worked over the years to not have a consumer mindset. My kids have grown up with the attitude that if you are going to buy something new it should last a lifetime. I still struggle with clutter, because I never want to get rid of anything. Here are some of the little things that are easy to do.

I keep a recyling bag on the basement doorhandle so it is easy to collect.

I keep a jar on the counter for food scraps that can be used mulch in the garden.

When I get food in plastic bags or bottles, I reuse them a dozen times again before recycling them.

I make my own cleaning products with vinegar, baking soda, etc.

We use natural remedies such as herbs and homeopathy, instead of being dependent on the medical system.

I use cloth for napkins, cleaning rags, diapers, mamapads, and hankerchiefs, so that I'm not filling the landfills with human waste wrapped in plastic.

I still drive too much because we live so far from everything, but we got rid of our old cars that were gas guzzlers and really bad on exhuast fumes. That is a start anyway.

I pass on magazines that come my way, or donate them to the library.

I shop around the edges of the grocery store.....buying food in the most natural, unprocessed, and unpackaged state as possible.

I try to grow much of our own food, and cook from scratch rather than buying prepared and packaged foods.

We have helped to build several homes for homeless families over the years as well as other types of outreach projects. More importantly I try to spread love, honesty and peaceful vibes to everyone I come in contact with, as much as possible.

This computer probably eats up too much energy....but it is put together from recycled parts of other computers!

 

what natural healing remedies do yall use, and what do you use them for? what all do you guys grow yourselves? also, are plastic bottles good for anything else other than re-filling?

 

I try to do every good deed that presents itself to me, I'll protect a child with my life, even though I've never met that child, I'll debate with someone who has something to say, (Except for personal insults, keep it respectable.)

I do whatever I CAN do.

 

There's more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
Some say eat or be eaten
Some say live and let live
But all are agreed as they join the stampede
You should never take more than you give
In the circle of life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap of faith
It's the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life


*busts out the lion king soundtrack*

 

you forgot compost piles teepi...

Perhaps now, more than at any time in our history, the choices that we make in our lives have lasting effects, and global consequences, that will extend for hundreds of generations into our future. In light of the escalating global tensions, recent studies offer new hope, and renewed credibility to our most cherished traditions, suggesting that we may “do something” about the seemingly unending cycles of violence, and future of our world.

Statistics have shown that a specific number of people, joined in a focused, unified consciousness of non-denominational mass prayer, produce effects that extend well beyond the room or building where the prayer has occurred.

That number is the square root of 1% of the population involved. These studies add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that focusing our feelings of appreciation and gratitude, as if our prayers have already been answered, have a measurable effect on the quality of life during the time of the prayer.- Gregg Braden
http://www.greggbraden.com/index.php3

 

I suppose that what ever it is that I do.. I don't do enough of it..I mean I have a small circle of friends and blood that I help.. ya know.. it's hard to get around when one is so far away from the populas. but that's why CREATOR invented the computer..

 

i cant tell you how much i agree with this

 

about the healing substances. I am not schooled on this, but have found garlic capsules (the softgels not the tablets) and goldenseal have amazing healing properties. Of course the more natural the better I'm sure, but the storebought kinds are very convenient .

we use paper grocery bags for trash bags, and I'm pretty sure they degrade into nothing eventually, so I hope that's OK. All plastic and glass and aluminum gets into the recycling system in my community (and at my house). We have a pretty good recycle program locally, but I have to take some types of plastic to other places, so I do. Our trash can on garbage day is rarely full, because so much goes into the recycle bin. Of course, as others have mentioned there is the consumerism aspect, so that's something to think about too.