This article was originally published HERE on the RawReform E-Journal.
Today… October the 15th, 2007… is officially ‘Blog Action Day’, wherein bloggers all over the world form a ‘united front’ to blog on the same topic, hence drawing attention to that subject. The theme this year is ‘The Environment’ hmmmmmm…. well, well, well? what would I like to share about the environment???? Where to begin?? I think I will give my top ten tips for ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION, after all, is where it’s at? we can read and write all the blahblah we like about the environment… taking action is the key for real, lasting shifts… so, here we go, in no particular order?
1. Compost your food scraps and re-use/recycle all else that you can of your waste. Start TODAY. (Hmmmm…have I ever mentioned composting before???? ;) Are you starting to see a pattern emerging here?? ;)
2. Grow your own food … even if it’s in window boxes, plant pots or indoors … get truly ‘local’ with your food choices and grow your own.
3. Choose organic, if you’re not already. That goes for food, clothes and anything else where you have a choice. You vote with your dollar on these matters every single day … what are you going to choose?
4. Learn more about foraging … the more people who are able to identify edible plants and make use of them/educate others, the better, in my opinion. This is a HIGHLY valuable skill.
5. Read the Anastasia books and put what you learn into practice. NOTHING in recent years has motivated me more to get to a piece of land and start raising my own food and family than these books.
6. Try walking or riding a bike somewhere you would normally drive a car to reach. Re-evaluate this journey. Do you really ‘need’ to use a vehicle to get there, or are actually driving from habit?
7. Plant some trees OR support charities that do so. We support The Woodland Trust in the UK and The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, based in the US.
8. Pick up some litter in YOUR area … caring for the earth is something we can all do. Maybe you didn’t drop that litter yourself. You could pick it up though. Try seeing all pieces of land, all aspects of nature – the whole picture – as something you are connected to.
9. Cease using new plastic/paper bags at shops. Invest in some fabric bags or ‘bags for life’, as sold in many supermarkets these days. Keep some in your vehicle, or near your keys etc … somewhere you will remember to take them with you to the shops. If you live in a country where the shops do not yet charge you for each plastic bag you use, try to imagine you DO live somewhere like that… imagine each bag cost you $1 … then how many would you use?
10. Dry your clothes OUTSIDE IN THE AIR/SUN whenever possible. Tumble dryers are one of the most energy-consuming appliances in the home.
Ok… that will do for now ;) I could have gone on for a few more pages there… 10 is a good start… I’d recommend checking out the site of The Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales for more ideas… I used to live/work there… it’s a phenomenal place!
One Earth, one love,
Angela. xxx
To read more of Angela's thoughts on how to go raw successfully, happily and for the long-term, see her books HERE.