Happy Earth Day

[peripatetic]

As if anyone cares anymore. I congratulate all those who use/advocate bicycles as an alternative to fossil fuel consumption.

Now, everyone reading this in NYC, and anywhere else for that matter (esp. in NYC, tho) think about one thing you can do today to remove your negative footprint from the planet. Recycling, by the way, doesn't cut it--that just qualifies as phucking up the planet at a slower rate than if you weren't recycling. In other words, 'how can you REDUCE your waste production?' Or, to put it another way, how can you reduce your consumption?

Reduce--->Re.Use--->Re.Cycle

[gonesh9]

Good words, peripatetic.

Reduce, reuse, THEN recycle.

A few tips for those of you who want to help out:

-When you're shopping, if you've only purchased a few items, ask for NO bag.
-Better yet, bring your own bag.
-Economize your cold weather heating. 62 degrees is plenty. Make sure your house is properly sealed.
-Take shorter showers. 1/2 hour is just excessive.
-Buy organic when possible.
-Buy local when possible.
-Bike or bus to work if possible (Most of us here already know that)

Go support your local Earth Day festival!!

[John E]

My current "bus and train" reading is Thoreau's "Walden," which I last read when I was in high school. Today his material minimalism message is more relevant than ever, and the book should be put back on required reading lists. I worked in the environmental field (air pollution and energy-related consulting engineering) for four years, but changed careers partly to relish the freedom to be an effective environmental activist and advocate.

The environmental movement is indeed a bit dormant at the moment; unfortunately, it will take another crisis to rejuvenate it. We also need to win over some new converts and to broaden the political base to energize, for example, "Teddy Roosevelt Republicans," and to put "conserve" back into "Conservative."