Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I'm currently applying to the Castle Ink Paperless Scholarship to help me fund my education- which, by the way, is why I haven't been able to post much lately! I'm earning my Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning and specializing in Sustainable Cities. I truly love learning about this stuff, and I can't wait to apply my knowledge.

To fund my school, I've begun looking for scholarships that really define who I am, and this scholarship from Castle Ink (http://www.castleink.com) does just that! For all of those who know me, I am very much a part of the reduce, reuse, recycle mindset. That mantra comes into play in every aspect of my life, everyday. I start my limiting how much I own, and what I buy. I buy only what's necessary, and I buy what comes with the least amount of packaging, a.k.a. waste. When I'm finished with something, I sell it, trade it, donate it, or reuse it. DIY crafts, baby! Up-cycling and re-purposing are my hobbies since childhood! As for everything I can not find a second use for, I recycle!

I've been successful in encouraging and beginning workplace recycling at my jobs, and I always do my best to teach friends and family about what they can do to help (of course, my family were the ones who taught me in the first place! Thanks, Mom and Dad!).

The point is, you can, and should, live by this mantra as well. To be honest, it makes life richer- in every sense of the term!!

Composting

I have been composting since the end of Spring. It feels so much better to keep my food waste out of the trash. I live in a house with 6 adults, half of whom are foodies- and who love to cook with whole ingredients. Now, all the food goes into our compost pail and then into our compost bin and not into landfills.

Composting is a tricky habit to learn. I know a lot of people complain about recycling- they're unsure of what can be recycled. I have been recycling for so long that it has become second nature for me. Composting shouldn't take too long to understand. If you're going to start composting at home, be sure you know what can and cannot be put into a compost heap. The dos and don'ts of composting are very simple.

Do put in produce scraps, organic matter, and lawn clippings. Do not, however include cooked food, not even vegetables. Always (and especially in a home compost pile) avoid adding meat, fish, dairy products and bones, pet waste or items cooked in oil to the compost pile. They can attract outdoor pests and harbor many types of bacteria and disease.

Moldy fruits and vegetables are fine to add. Watch the fats you add to the pile as fats are difficult for the good bacteria to digest. Breads and grains can also be added, but in moderation.

Anything you eat can be composted. This statement is true; however, that doesn't mean that every food is ideal for a compost pile. Citrus and alkaline are harmful in excess, and rinds are difficult to break down. As I mentioned before, breads and grains can be composted but are not as quick to decompose. This is also why meat and fats should not be added.

Do you research, read some text on the subject, and then just go at it! It's so much easier to begin than you might think!

Day 9 Eat Local Challenge

To be honest, I'll be thankful when this is done and I don't have to take pictures of my food and upload it all to the blog. But it's been a great experience!

This morning, I drank some of Odwalla's Superfood drink; it's a favorite store-bought smoothie of mine, but expensive to buy the whole 1/2 gallon at over $8. It's all natural, and the plastic bottle is made of 100% plant material.

I woke up early to go to the local farmer's market with my grandfather this morning. We got a dozen ears of corn, a musk melon (cantaloupe- I just love calling it musk melon now that I know!), 4 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, and some zucchini bread.

Day 7 & 8 Buy Local Challenge

The challenge is extending to span two weekends, and thus 9 days total. Yesterday, the 7th day, I started off with a local peach on top of peach greek yogurt.
As a pick-me-up, I bought a mocha latte from Atwater's. Like the many others that I've pointed this week, here's yet another obvious local food oxymoron: coffee can not be local. The shop, however, is local; Atwater's makes their own breads and foods using local ingredients. In addition, the latte was counter culture coffee. Counter Culture Coffee ensures that the coffee beans used in creating your drink were sustainably sourced. I don't drink much coffee, so I don't have much to say about Counter Culture and Atwater's. Prior to today's experience, most of the coffee I drank was made at home, using Baltimore Coffee and Tea blends and beans. Baltimore Coffee and Tea is another local seller of coffee products and offers Fair Trade coffees.

For lunch I ate yogurt with blackberries again, with granola on top. And I had some cereal to snack on.
I left for the beach after work, so I snacked on the way down. I ate a walnut brownie that I bought from Atwater's earlier. When I got to the beach I ate some musk melon and some almonds.

Eating at the beach may be a bit more difficult than I expected, but I brought some food with me. I have local yogurt left- which I used to make a smoothie this morning-
- and local eggs- which were used to make the pancake I ate this morning.

For lunch, we ate at a local pizzeria, and for dinner, my aunt made spaghetti. I don't think much or any of that meal was local. But it was family made, and delicious!

I couldn't get any local milk at the store down here, so I just bought organic. Tomorrow morning I'm walking with my grandfather down to the local farmers market, so I'll get some good stuff.

Day 6 Eat Local Challege

Who knew posting every night about what you ate would be so time consuming!? Really, I've spent as much- probably more- time writing these posts as I have preparing and eating the food! Anyway, today was a trouble free day. Breakfast was a parfait of MOMs' granola, farmers market blackberries, and local yogurt. Yummy and a good day starter.
For lunch I ate the rest of the ceasar salad from One World, and the rest of my fiance's meatless meatball sub. I still can't believe I ordered enough food to supply me with three meals!

And for a late dinner, I ate the rest of my nachos, chili, and guac from One World Cafe. Nachos never look appetizing after being reheated, but they were delicious!

If only I had some local ice cream for dessert!!

Well, tomorrow is the last day. I have plenty food remaining, not necessarily a good thing since I'm taking my vacation tomorrow after work. Looks like I'll be bringing 1/2 a loaf of honey whole wheat bread, a container of yogurt, a zucchini, s cucumber, a squash, granola, eggs, blackberries, and cherry tomatoes with me down to the beach. And that's just the local food in my fridge and pantry that needs to be taken! I have other non-local food that I should take so that it wont spoil! Obviously, I've bought way more food than I needed this week- all just to prove a point: buying local is easy, convenient, and affordable! If I am not broke at this point- you know it's not an expensive lifestyle!

More to write tomorrow!

Day 5 Buy Local Challenge

Today began as the least interesting local eating day of them all. I kicked it off with the 2nd Saw Mill Bread Co. bagel I bought from MOM's, topped with non-local cream cheese and with a glass of Trickling Springs local milk.

For lunch, I scrounged together a sandwich from some non-local cheese (muenster and swiss), non-local mayonnaise, local tomato, and vegetarian "pepperoni" slices; all on two slices of my honey whole wheat loaf, also from Saw Mill Bread Co. It was a huge sandwich, but mock pepperoni does not make for good sandwich filler. I also ate one of the juicy and really delicious peaches from the Burton Farm produce stand. Last week the peaches were good; this week the peaches were amazing!!

After work, I was going to stop by the Timonium Fair Grounds Farmers Market- but realized I have enough local food to finish the week, and not the money to afford excess produce. So to avoid the temptation, I didn't even drive by for a photo of it. When I got home, I finished off the Salazon chocolate bar (didn't last me nearly as long as I had hoped), at a few of the blackberries I bought from Three Springs Farm at yesterday's farmers market, and had another glass of Trickling Springs Creamery milk- the 1/2 gallon is almost gone. So alone, I would probably drink 2+ bottles a week. That's $7.98 a week on milk for just myself. In my opinion, it's worth it. As long as I can afford to buy this milk over a California organic milk, I will do so.

For tonight's dinner, my fiance and I met up with my cousin and her boyfriend for a double date at One World Cafe. It's a vegetarian restaurant in Charles Village in Baltimore. I've been there 3 times before, and loved it each time. If it were closer, I'd be there more often. We ordered so much food!! I got a ceasar salad to share with Shane, my fiance, but he was too busy eating a miso soup to make a dent on it. Then I got nachos, which are supposed to be a group shared appetizer sort of thing, but I ordered them just for myself. And on top of that, I ordered a cup of vegetarian chili and a bowl of guacamole! The waiter even warned me of how much food that was, but I insisted. I doggie-bagged a lot; I now have all of tomorrow's meals set to go!
I am stuffed but somehow still could have eaten dessert!!! What is wrong with me! This local food has me wanting more!!

On a side note, my work just started carrying a collection of home and kitchen accessories with phrases like "Eat Local", "Go Organic", "Homegrown", and "Farm Fresh" on them. How apropos!? If I wasn't trying to simplify my life and stop unnecessary purchasing, I would definitely have bought some stuff!

Day 3 Buy Local Challenge

Let me recap today's local meals:

For breakfast I had an everything bagel from Saw Mill Bread Co. with non-local (but USDA Organic) cream cheese. I also ate a banana- also non-local, but fair trade- and had a glass of Trickling Spring Creamery milk.

For lunch, I made a PBJ sandwich. I sliced my own bread (!!! Saw Mill Bread Co.) and spread an organic brand of crunchy peanut butter on one slice, and some local cider jelly and a homemade strawberry/basil jam (savory and delicious; courtesy of a housemate!).



I prepared a simple parfait as well, 1 c local yogurt with 1 fresh, local peach and some granola on the side to sprinkle on for lunch time. [Yes, I used a disposable spoon, I forgot mine. But don't worry, I have a system- for every piece of disposable flatware or napkins I have to use at work, I put a dollar into the "green fund" at my house.]



For my after work snack, I ate some cheddar cheese from Bowling Green Farm (PA local, if you'll recall) and some honey mustard (East Coast Local).

And for dinner I made the La Pasta local ravioli, oooh so yummy (organic, local, and RAW!) with fresh cut local tomatoes and fresh basil straight out of my garden! I was going to toast some of the whole wheat bread, but my fiance was sharing and I thought he might prefer some Pepperidge Farm Texas Toast garlic bread.

After work I was hoping to go to Weber's Cider Mill Farm, but my poor fiance who hasn't seen much of me lately, asked to go to the movies. I definitely have more than enough local food than I need for a week already, so it wasn't worth ditching him. Unfortunately, however, I wont be able to make it there until after the beach! I haven't been yet this Summer season. As the name suggests, they have great cider, cider donuts, and cider slushies!! Their cider will be best later in the season. But they also have pastries, produce, ice cream, condiments, honey, just about everything. If you go on a Saturday in fall, though, you'll find the Volunteer Fire Department there serving up food on the grill. I, as a vegetarian, eat their fresh cut french fries, yum!!!

Day 2 Buy Local Challenge

Today started off much better. I woke up early and went out to the market (MOM's, that is) to gather some of my local ingredients for the week. Here's what my grocery receipt looked like:

1 Tub Seven Stars Farm Vanilla Yogurt (Pennsylvania local)- $3.99
1 Dozen Nature's Yoke Large, vegetarian fed, free range eggs (PA Local)- $3.49
Spring Mill Bread Co. Honey Whole Wheat loaf (Maryland Local)- $4.95
2 Bagels (MD local)- $1.38
1 Salazon Chocolate Company dark chocolate bar (MD Local)- $2.99
1 block chedder from Bowling Green Farm (MD Local)- $5.71
1 package La Pasta ravioli (MD Local)- $5.19
1/2 Gallon Trickling Spring Milks (PA local)- $3.99
That's $31.69 and that gives me enough food for breakfast and lunch for every day this week, one meal for dinner, and some chocolate to snack on (the cocoa being . And I'll definitely have enough food to last me well into next week.

*Paper bag is not mine! I always bring a reusable (like the ones pictured at the top)! It belongs to a roommate, but because the food was from MOM's, it felt like an appropriate background for showing of my local bounty (sans Trickling Springs milk)! The blue lid under the bagels is my container of granola mentioned in yesterday's post. To fill that up, if you'll remember, costs just $2.97!

Today's breakfast included some (non-local, but healthy) Peace Cereal, with 2 more slices musk melon.
For lunch, I had some of the Bowling Green Farm cheese with honey mustard to snack on, along with 2 slices of the honey whole wheat bread with flax oil and dipping herbs.
To end the day, I had grilled the corn from the produce stand and sprinkled it with some old bay (a Maryland local ingredient!!). I also grilled a local green pepper stuffed with cheese and chunks from a tomato (also bought locally last week from the produce stand). My non-local portion of that meal included a veggie dog (East Coast local- Lightlife is a New England Company) and the whole wheat hot dog buns which I already had stocked in my pantry.

There are a few things I wish I could get local at MOM's. More yogurt would be nice, sliced cheese or cream cheese, and ice cream would be amazing. They do sell Moorenko's ice cream, but the flavors all seemed a bit too extreme for me, so I passed. When I got home, I found out a housemate had bought some of their ice cream. I tried it and it was great! Definitely will consider buying some next time.

P.S. The chocolate bar is almost gone! I bought dark chocolate because I can usually have just one small bite and be satisfied for the day- but it is soooo good! Dark chocolate with sea salt! Mmmmm! Oh and I bought some Biggs & Featherbelle Handle Bar Soap (pictured with the bounty, 4.49- it's a Baltimore company!)

The Maryland Buy Local Challenge Began Today!

The Maryland Buy Local Challenge started today, July 23rd. Each year, it happens during the 3rd week in July. I wasn't prepared as I hoped I would be- that, combined with the circumstances of the morning, meant my very first meal of the week was a failure by my standards. The challenge wants to see people incorporate one local food item into their diet each day. I've decided to see if I can make each meal of the day use one local ingredient.




So my challenge began with lunch: I ate a few pieces of musk melon (what we Americans wrongly call cantaloupe) bought from the Burton Family Farm, who sets up a produce stand on my street each weekend in the Summer.
This provides a few days worth of food, and cost about $3.00. In addition to the melon, I was able to buy 2 ears of sweet corn and 5 large peaches- togehter costing just $4.99. I ate the melon with some granola I bought in bulk with my own container from MOM's Organic Market. It's made locally, but uses coconut- which is obviously not local to Maryland. The granola is priced at $3.49/lb. On my way to work, I had some yummy organic chocolate milk from a local farm in Rockville, MD. It's the MOM's brand, and the 16oz bottle cost around $1. Not a substantial amount of food, but as I mentioned, the day hadn't gone as planned.
For dinner, I ate a vegetarian "chicken" pita pocket, prepared by Suneen Health Foods in Pennsylvania. Whether or not the ingredients were local, I can't be certain. I grabbed the sandwich since I was on the run and I didn't have the time (or food in my pantry) to prepare a healthy, local lunch on my own before work. The sandwich was sold at- you guessed it, MOM's- and put me back just $2.99. For dessert, I took that same granola from lunch, and sprinkled it over vanilla bean ice cream (Breyer's, not local) and a chopped peach from the produce stand! Yum!
Today's menu was not at all as I planned. It was, however, with the exception of my breakfast, entirely local. Regionally speaking, that is. Immediately local is a bit more difficult to achieve. The important message I want to deliver is that buying local food is affordable, despite what many believe. These two meals totaled around $7.00. They were small, but still satisfying and healthy.

And that's why the Prius gets made fun of...

I've always tried to avoid being, "that eco-girl". You know the one I'm talking about; the one who makes everyone feel like idiots because they don't recycling. Instead, I've always just thought of it as my decision to live a certain way. I suppose that stemmed from being a vegetarian. No one else understood my decision, but even though I knew the benefits I didn't ever want to make anyone feel bad for their choice to eat meat. Everyone has the right to choose, right? Wrong. At least when it comes to taking care of the planet, they don't. Living here is a privilege, not a right. Still, I've prided myself in not being too pontifical when I talk about living a sustainable lifestyle, and I've been reassured of that many times at work. Not until a coworker asks me how I spent my weekend do I tell them that I picked up other peoples' litter. I do notice guilt in their faces, which makes me then feel guilty, but they also usually express gratitude; they thank me for not being that "annoying" person: the preachy little do-gooder. I think that there are too many people out there who brag and preach about how their lifestyle is better. Obviously, this leaves a very bitter taste in the mouths of others. In turn, when other, genuinely caring people try to talk about the benefits of being green, people don't want to listen.

And that's why the Prius gets made fun of so often.

Eco-friendly people often come off as a self-righteous, egotistical folk. They think they are superior to others and feel the need to lecture everyone. I have found that more people have caught on to the eco-friendly things I do just by observing them. My coworkers have now begun to recycle, and bring their own lunches, among other small steps. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, right? That's why, when my boss (who, unlike my coworkers, has his own smug outlook on life: feeling he has the right to trash the planet) asks me how I spent my weekend I respond by smiling, knowing he has never made even the slightest effort to help the planet, and I tell him the truth. I may be bragging here on this blog, but it's to no one specific. It's because I am proud of myself. And if I am being preachy, it's to the people who have the right idea- they're doing right by the Earth- but have poor execution when trying to gain followers. I still spend my time humbled among others, acknowledging that my actions alone mean nothing without their help as well. No one person can save the planet on their own, but we're not going to build an army by insulting and belittling our adversaries.

Affordable and Realistic Sustainable Shopping

When you're transition to a sustainable lifestyle, you realize a lot of products and things you buy no longer work out for you. Unfortunately, the eco-friendly and sustainable products are rarely made accessible, and often can't be purchased on a normal day of errands. So what do you do when you want to find a manual clothes washer and the WalMart put everyone else in town out of business doesn't sell it? Okay, first off, I hope anyone trying to be sustainable has boycotted WalMart long ago. Still, that hand washer that would make doing laundry by hand much easier probably couldn't even be found at the local home store. That's where the internet comes into play. It uses electricity, takes time away from being outdoors, even has cause for certain health concerns, but the internet is still a terrific green resource. It links people to green information, products, and communities better than any other resource could.

Let me begin by emphasizing the significance of the scenario above. The only reason we turned to the internet in the first place was because we needed something that couldn't be found locally. You should never buy online something that could be bought in town. That being said, a lot of sustainable tools can ONLY be found online. When you're trying to find a gadget that makes living a sustainable life easier, the internet is a treasure trove! Here, I shall provide a process I find most useful in researching, finding, and buying sustainable items.

First, ask yourself: do I really need this item? Rethink the purchase if you're buying the hottest eco-friendly item on the market just to replace the same perfectly good-but not "green"- item you already own. Carl Elefante once said, "the greenest building is the one already built." This can be applied to everything.

Next, does the wringer I want for drying out my hand-washed clothes need to be brand new? No. Eco-friendly products are hard to find in general, so searching for them used will be harder still, but it's well worth the search. The following websites will help you in your search for pre-owned goods:
Freecycle.org
Craigslist.com
eBay.com

If you can't find it used, you'll have to next begin the search to find it new. Do your research and comparison shop using a website like Pristine Planet.

Here is a list of a few merchants that might lead you in the right direction!
A Greener Kitchen
A.R.E. Naturals
Abe's Market
Bambeco
Bona Fide Green Goods
Bright Green Ideas
Buy Green
Celery Street
Compostable Goods
E3 Living
Earth Lover
EcoFriendly Green Things
Ethical Ocean (a great site!)
GetN' Green
Go Green Items
Goods for the Garden
Green Ostrich
Greenfeet
Green Rainbow Shop
Lehman's(a favorite!)
Maku Eco Shop
Moss Envy
Practical Organic
The Pristine Home
The Ultimate Green Store
Yes It's Organic

When shopping, don't forget about savings! Websites like Ecobunga, GreenDeals (through Green America), GenGreenLife, SustainLane are good places to find great deals!

Charm City Eco Cleanup

Today was our first event with Charm City EcoVillage. We arranged to cleanup a reservoir that provides drinking water to the city. I anticipated some more volunteers (after all, I DID send a note to almost all of my facebook friends, and I had texted almost all my contacts in hopes of gaining volunteers), but I am very happy that I had some family and friends come along. We found a trail through the woods along the waters edge and walked along, cleaning up litter as we went. We found some interesting things; bed sheets, abandoned clothes, luau lei's, LOTS of beer bottles... had all been left behind or washed up with the tides.

It's disappointing that people from this area do value and appreciate having this feature in our county- they fight to be able to use the space for recreational purposes- yet still treat it so poorly. It's like they don't know how to be respectful, they don't know how they are supposed to take care of it and they always just think that if they don't throw it in the trash someone else will- that someone being us today and others who regularly participate in trash cleanups. That's rarely the case! When we're not able to go behind others and pick up what they've left behind, their litter would remain that way until an animal comes along and suffers in some way because of it- as they often do.

I don't think I'm wrong in believing that if you enjoy going someplace and being there, then you would keep it the way it was when you came upon it. You're favorite spot wont be as pleasant when you arrive to find empty beer cans and cigarette butts, candy wrappers and soda cups, fishing line and hooks, or broken bottles and Styrofoam!! And the next time you're walking along a park and notice someone's trash that's been left behind, don't put it below you to pick it up and throw it out for them. You're a better person than that.

Waste-free and Eco-chic!

It has been for years that I have been on my slow journey to preparing waste-free lunches. It all started back in elementary school. Back then, I had little more say in my lunches than my choice in lunchbox, but that was all that mattered. It was for materialistic purposes, though, as my mom was the one who sought after a reusable box and I had no concept of the havoc trash wreaks on our planet. As I grew up and entered high school, however, something very sad happened. I ceased to use a reusable lunchbox for a few years as lunchboxes always looked nerdy and uncool. Fortunately, that's not the case today. You can find myriad lunchboxes today, often referred to as lunchbags as they sometimes look like purses. I adore mine, it's my second Koko lunchbag (The first one is still usable, mind you-when I upgraded I gave it to a co-worker who was trying to be more eco-friendly). I have the Michelle Lunchbag in Neon Garden- so cute and it looks like me.

Well, in the last few years, I have been paying extra attention to all that other stuff inside the bag. What about all that waste? The plastic sandwich baggies, the napkins, the yogurt cups, the candy wrappers and chip bags, the soda bottles...the list goes on and on. When you think about it, about half of what we pack for lunch becomes trash (And that's IF you pack. Buying lunch is worse and in so many other ways as well). So I've been trying to pack waste-free lunches.


First off, until I start making my own yogurt, bread, peanut butter, jam, etc. I will never be truly waste-free. But what I definitely have addressed is the temporary container issue. Two years ago, I ditched the plastic baggies. I bought reusable sandwich and snack bags, called Lunchskins (pictured above). I started out with just one or two, and immediately went back to buy 6 total: 3 sandwich size and 3 snack size. I've had them for 2 years now and haven't replaced them. I found them pretty inexpensive at MOM's Organic Market, recently, and so I bought 2 more. But when I got home, I realized I didn't actually need them, my others were still perfectly fine! So as to not contribute further to the waste issue, and not to succumb to my materialistic tendencies, I returned them. I've also stopped using disposable flatware, and I've replaced paper napkins with linen cocktail napkins. And of course, I always have my reusable water bottle with me.

One of the more difficult steps has been to cut out individually wrapped food products. They made packing lunch a breeze. In turn, however, I've become more conscious about the food I eat and thus healthier. Above is my yogurt in a reusable tupperware container. The yogurt is still store-bought and comes in it's own recyclable container, but buying in bulk is great and until I make my own yogurt-this is the greenest solution.

So what does an eco-chic, waste-free lunch look like?
Complete with Solio solar charger for my cell phone, iPod, and PSP. And a cute picnic blanket that I got for free from IKEA in exchange for a donation of childrens' books.

Before 2050

The urgency that presses behind the need for positive environmental action is somehow forgotten when advocates for sustainability argue their points. Not only is it crucial that we change our behavior, but we must do so immediately. Many forecast, as I believe, that the Earth will reach it's carrying capacity by 2050, rendering it unable to support its inhabitants. Some scientists actually suggest that the planet will be "unrecognizable" by 2050. To me, this concept is unimaginable and quite disheartening! (1) If we do not act quickly, we are doomed to enter a world-wide environmental depression that endangers our lives and the life of planet Earth. As alarming as this may be, there is hope, still, for this prediction still allows for ample time to change.

Population is growing; this is difficult to control but humans must be more conscious of and deliberate in the decisions they make, as well as the impact these decisions have on the population of the world as a whole. I would rather save the choice/life discussion for another day, but I will gently recommend people consider the loss of life caused by unplanned, irresponsible life. The brutal fact is that there used to be extreme population controls, such as war or fatal diseases. As humans become healthier and safer, and technology extends the human lifespan, we flood the planet with more life than it can support. It wont be long before we are overpopulated and Earth will be unable to provide for us. The large issue brought about by the population dilemma is about the resources we waste and exhaust. "A study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)... warns that the human race is plundering the planet at a pace that outstrips its capacity to support life." (2)

With such extreme levels of consumption, we are condemning our planet and home. The same report explains how humans worldwide have destroyed a third of the natural world over the past three decades. In the energy we invest in competing to have the best technology, best cars, and largest homes it's almost as if we are racing to see how quickly we can obliterate the planet when we should be investing all of our energy in opportunities to preserve and save it.

But I refuse to picture a future without nature. I refuse to accept that this is the path we are stuck along. It will take more than a few changes by one person to change this path, but I am dedicating my entire life to saving our planet, as are others. Before it's too late, we must all take action and accept responsibility as the stewards of this planet.

1. http://www.populationmedia.org/2011/04/07/planet-could-be-unrecognizable-by-2050-experts-say/
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/jul/07/research.waste