Lend A Hand

I’m going to take a day off from talking about war to address a serious threat to our water supplies and food fish.

Remember those old thermostats – the round metal ones or the rectangle ones with the little metal lever? Today’s thermostats are made quite differently with the most vital difference being the absence of mercury.

I’m sure you remember years ago when doctors and authorities were telling us not to use mercury thermometers and to get rid of them if we did have them. Most importantly, to dispose of these thermometers properly.

However we haven’t heard much about the dangers of mercury switch thermostats, of which there are over 550,000 in my state alone. In fact, 83% of homes in the Rhode Island area have a mercury thermostat. Combined these remaining thermostats contain more that 3651 pounds of mercury. Now keep in mind that one gram of mercury can contaminate all of the fish in lakes as large as 20-acres.

The problem is getting people to dispose of these old thermostats in a safe way – one that eliminates the chance of mercury contamination.

In Rhode Island there is a Mercury Thermostat Pollution Prevention Act being considered that would require the manufactures if these thermostats to take responsibility for their collection and recycling.

Your call to action if you live in Rhode Island, please write a letter (see sample letter below) to show support for the Mercury Thermostat Pollution Prevention Act. If you live outside Rhode Island I ask you to look into the status of mercury thermostats in your state.

Clean Water Action works to ensure clean, safe, and affordable drinking water, prevent health threatening pollution and empower people to make democracy work. Clean Water Action has more than 1,200,000 members nationwide. To learn more: www.cleanwateraction.org

Sample Letter:

Dear Governor/Senator/Representative,

Please support the Mercury Thermostat Pollution Prevention Act (S 668, H 794) to require thermostat manufacturers to pay for the collection and recycling of mercury thermostats.

Mercury pollution threatens our health and our environment.

Please add a sentence about why preventing mercury pollution is important to you.

Sincerely,

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This month I talked about the various issues plaguing our planet today. While global warming and carbon footprints are talked about on television and in newspapers, not nearly enough is heard about pesticides, superbugs, or the world’s water shortage. And not nearly enough is being done about them.

Next month I want to try something a little different. Every day of April I want each reader out there to write, email, or call their representatives, business, or community leaders about an issue that is important to you that you believe they can do something about. Let’s work together and see how my change we can set in motion.

Also coming up in April, Lend A Hand will be introducing regular post items every month. ‘In The News’ will discuss a current new story of interest to the American people. ‘Read This!’ will be a review of a book that looks at the types of issues we’re interested in at Lend A Hand. ‘Call To Action’ will request a specific response from our readers in response to a specific situation. Finally we’ll be spotlighting people, companies, and groups who are making a real difference. This feature has yet to be named. See you in April.

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The message is clear: Conserve, Recycle, Reuse and stop wasting the precious resources of our precious planet. In my city recycling is mandatory although there are some recyclable materials the city won’t accept. My husband built a compost bin for our family and we’ve been composting all our vegetable and fruit wastes, coffee grounds, eggshells, shredded paper, leaves and grass clippings. Unfortunately most people in my neighborhood don’t compost.

Obviously oil supplies are being depleted and once they’re gone, they’re gone. The world’s water supply is also endangered through wastefulness and misuse. Landfills are rapidly filling up and even the biodegradable materials in these landfills are not degrading due to lack of favorable conditions (the landfills are too dry and cold) There isn’t enough food going around (although the is enough to go around). Almost everything in our society has become disposable from clothing to appliances, toys to T.V.s

Many individuals are working hard to change their wasteful ways. That is good and very helpful. However many commercial and industrial enterprises are doing nothing to be less wasteful. We need to do more to support companies, stores, and restaurants that practice conservation and eco-friendly habits. Likewise we need to boycott businesses that refuse to do their best to help the planet.

Meanwhile write to or call your representatives and ask for higher standards for businesses. And of course, do your part for the planet as well.

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I have always been concerned about global warming but it wasn’t until I saw Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that I realized how urgent the situation is or how drastic the consequences of doing nothing could be.

Most people already know how global warming occurs. The greenhouse effect and carbon emissions and how they cause the temperature on the planet to rise. Global warming cause polar ice to melt, the level of the ocean rises and gets colder. The flow of water in ocean changes and climates change along with them. While the debate on Global warming has pretty much come to an end, people still argue about the effects of global warming and how dangerous it really is. I personally believe (although I haven’t seen any concrete proof) that the recent rise in the number and strength of natural disasters is caused in part by the changes in the climate of the planet.

Some of the most frightening facts that I have come across while reading about global warming:

• The eight warmest years on record since 1850 have all occurred since 1998.
• An approximately 5.4 degree Fahrenheit increase in Greenland temperatures will lead to an irreversible meltdown and a sea level rise of more that 20 feet. (source: http://www.edf.org)
• America is the top global warming polluter in the world.
• The U.S. fire season has increased by 78 days over the last 20 years in part to higher temperatures and earlier snowmelt.
• 200 million could be displaced by drought, sea level rise, and flooding by 2080.

In the face of these statistics I can’t see why anyone would take the chance by not changing their ways.

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Last year when people were dealing with four dollar a gallon gasoline and rapidly increasing heating costs, energy preservation was a topic on everyone’s lips. President Obama has made alternative energy and the jobs it could create a major point of his presidential campaigning. Magazines, newspapers, and news shows are all promoting conservation and alternative energy sources.

And yet with all the discussion and movements, it’s not enough. This month we’ll be talking about the dangers facing our planet and what we can do to make the difference necessary.

Let’s start out by going over some of the frightening facts about the environment.

At the current rate of consumption, there are already many parts of the U.S. and Canada that are facing shortages of water for drinking and growing crops.

Oil production has already peaked and is on the down-slide. If things keep going the way they have been, it’s estimated that we will run out of oil by the 2020s.

Chemicals sprayed on the food we eat and used to clean our homes have been linked to multiple health issues including tumors, cancer, and cognitive and behavioral problems. Plastic and other non-biodegradable materials fill our landfills which prevent even biodegradable items from breaking down.

Global warming is effecting weather patterns as well as the seasons. Not to mention what the melting ice floes are doing to the polar bears.

And that’s just the tip of  the (rapidly melting) iceberg. We were given a beautiful planet and we abused it. Now it is time to start nurturing it back to health.

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What’s good for the Earth is good for us so it is possible to do things that can make a difference in the world and still help yourself out at the same time. Of course this shouldn’t be your main motivation but a nice side effect all the same.

1. Landscape your home – Green things give off oxygen and landscaping makes your home more beautiful and increases its value.
2. Switch to a hybrid vehicle – Hybrids use less gas which is a relief on our stressed oil supply while costing you less at the gas pump.
3. Find out if your area has a coupon charity – Some areas have a group of people who collect coupons that others don’t want and use them to help buy food for the hungry. You get rid of some clutter without wasting paper and help the food banks too. If your area doesn’t have a coupon charity, you may be able to fin one out of area that will let you mail coupons to them.
4. Switch to canvas grocery bags – You probably already know that using reusable bags saves trees, energy and keeps tons of plastic out of landfills. But canvas bags also have the benefit of being stronger (no more broken bags and groceries all over the front steps) and larger (why carry seven bags when you can carry four?)
5. Make your own mulch and compost- If you like to garden you can save quite a bit of money by making your own mulch and compost. The benefit to the environment is recycling without wasting precious energy. Shredded paper makes pretty good mulch and vegetable waste breaks down into usable compost in about 6 months.

There’s five examples proving that helping our planet doesn’t have to be expensive, time-consuming, or unprofitable. Do you still need a reason to lend a hand?

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We’ve all heard that this is the only world we’ve got and we’ve got to take care of it not only for us but for future generations to come. True, all true.

Also true is that our ancestors knew next to nothing about being careful with the environment and left a big fat global warming, landfill overflowing mess in our laps. Since time travel hasn’t yet been perfected and our forefathers probably wouldn’t listen to our warnings anyway, all we can do is try to fix as much as we can now.

Here’s 10 ways to get started:

1. Buy reusable bags for when you go to the store. Not only do they help the planet they hold more at one time than paper or plastic and have convenient handles.
2. Plant a tree (or two or three) every arbor day. More info.
3. Have a drive-free day once a week. Commit to not driving your car for one day a week. Walk, bike or stay home.
4. Start a compost pile or build a compost bin.
5. Recycle your old cell phones, computers and other electronics. This keeps harmful toxins out of the landfills. Your local sanitation department or city hall should have information.
6. Reuse anything you can before recycling. For example, you can use shredded paper and newspaper for mulch or pet litter while glass jars and bottles can be reused. This saves the energy spent on recycling.
7. Use greywater instead of letting it go down the drain. Here’s more information about household greywater and its uses.
8. Use only organic mulch, pesticides and weed killers in your gardens. Shredded paper can serve as mulch, compost fertilizes the soil giving it much needed nutrients, certain herbs planted between other plants can repel pests while providing nutrients to the soil that they need.
9. Collect rainwater to use for watering your lawn, garden or for washing your car. Be sure to cover any standing water so not to attract mosquitoes.
10. As you update your appliances commit to only buying energy saver products. They use less energy and may allow you to claim a credit on your taxes.

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Saving the planet seems to be on everyone’s mind lately but sometimes it can be so hard knowing how to get started. Time and money are always tight. Here are 5 simple and frugal things you can do to help the environment today.

1. Pick up litter along your daily walk or in your favorite park. It takes very little time and only a small trash bag to clean a tiny corner of the world today.
2. Buy canvas shopping bags. Just about every major store now sells reusable shopping bags. They cost about a dollar each for the basic bags. Pick up as many as you’ll think you’ll need or make a commitment to pick up one a week unitil you have enough. For a family of five we needed 10 per week. Now that you’ve replaced those plastic bags, don’t forget to recycle them at your local supermarket or retail store.
3. Walk or ride your bike to work or to the store – anywhere close-by that you would normally take a car. The air will thank you. Additionally, let your teenage kids walk to school if they can’t take a bus.
4. Shut off the tap while you wash dishes or brush your teeth. Gallons of water are wasted everyday by people who let their faucets run.
5. Make an organic meal today. Just for this one day create an entire meal with organically grown foods. I know they can be expensive but a simple organic pasta and salad combo shouldn’t cost too much. This way not only do you feel great for helping the planet, you get to eat a fresh delicious meal too.

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