"We are dumping so much carbon dioxide into the Earth's environment that we have literally changed the relationship between the Earth and the Sun." - Al Gore
I have to be honest. I stumbled into the "SOS - Live Earth" concert series today because I love music, especially the televised live concert thing. Award shows especially attract me like a fly to honey. It's just so sweet and tantalizing. Anyhow, so I wish I could say that I started watching the show because of the "save the earth, slow the global warming" theme, but just not the case.
Let's face it, green is better. That I won't deny. However, my big contributions are limited to things like only have one light on in the house right now and I generally try to only water the yard for an hour at a time and not all day like many of my neighborhood folk. I also eat food that requires minimal preparation, but again that's out of laziness and not a deliberate effort to conserve the world.
This show got me thinking. What is one thing that I could do or perhaps push to promote on base to help with this cause, besides the well televised issues like reusing plastic water bottles and special energy efficient light bulbs? I think I would recommend more earth friendly grocery sacks or a recycling system. Tons and tons of military personnel shop in bulk at the base commissary's or grocery stores for you non-military folk, daily. The posted signs try and promote paper sack usage because of the increased COST of plastic. So instead of sending out two dozen-plus double lined plastic bags with each customer they send out two dozen paper bags. Per person. Per day. That's a lot of product waste.
My solution? I would suggest a credit system, where cents per bag are given to shoppers who return empty gently used bags to the store, similar to bottle and can deposit. There could also be a credit given to shoppers who bring their own plastic or paper bags from home to use instead of new store issued ones. So credit to return or reuse. The third option, already in use by stores such as Trader Joe's, Huckleberries and Albertson's , would be to offer the reusable cloth/hemp like store bags that can be purchased at a minimal fee and used in place of plastic/paper. Three different ways to do the same thing: reduce, reuse and recycle at the supermarket.
A good product of the concert was that I've also been inspired to make myself a "green" purse, backpack or bag by crocheting together plastic bags like this instead of cheap polyester yarn or remnants. I hope to not procrastinate on this one.
"If the truth is unwelcome, it may seem easier just to ignore it." - Al Gore
