Green Tip #25

“Gratitude”

With Thanksgiving Day less than a week away, this week’s green tip is dedicated to giving thanks for all that we have.  Despite rough economic times, we Americans are still so blessed and must remember to count our blessings.

Give thanks for the water that flows readily out of your tap.  Conserve it anyway you can, by taking shorter showers, not watering your lawn (rain barrels instead), switching to low flow fixtures, buying energy efficient appliances, and planting native plant species. 

Remember that many people in other countries struggle daily just to find water to drink, let alone take a shower, wash their clothing or wash their car. Even in our country there are battles over water, as it becomes a precious commodity.

Give thanks to the farmer who grows your food whether on a small, medium or large farm.  Pause to reflect on the low wages farm laborers and some farmers receive to do one of the most important and essential jobs on the earth—grow our food.  I always say, you can survive without clothing, dig a hole for shelter, but you must have food.  Many of us don’t know how to grow our own food anymore.  Start a garden in the spring, even if it’s two tomato plants.  Growing your own garden can begin to give you an appreciation for the work of a farmer and the miracle of a little seedling turning into a plant that sustains life.

Give thanks to the Earth and everything on it—oceans, lakes, streams, air, soil, plants, animals, and insects.  Make sustainable and wise purchases to reduce the pollution made during the manufacturing, farming, or mining process.  Take pride in your community and have respect for yourself and others by not littering.  Set an example by picking up litter wherever you go-- city sidewalks, playgrounds, school grounds, and parks.

Give thanks for the common things we use each day—furniture, dishes, televisions, phones, and clothing.  Make durable purchases so that an item lasts as long as possible.  When you are finished with an item, think hard about how that item can be converted into something else or used by someone else.  When you have exhausted your options, recycle it.

Give thanks for having a warm house.  Perhaps some people are not as warm as they’d like to be as they turn the thermostat down to save money and conserve energy.  Throw an extra sweater or blanket on and keep in mind that many people in other parts of the world spend much of their day foraging for firewood with which to cook and stay warm.

Give thanks to your employer for providing a way for you to make a living.  Respect your employer by knowing your job, by not wasting supplies (office, cleaning, etc.) and by conserving energy.  If you work in the restaurant setting, ask customers how much of something they need.  Don’t just throw packets of items at the customer.  By doing this, you may as well throw it away in the garbage.  In some cases, you may throw your job away with it.  Waste equates to wasted dollars.  These dollars could be someone’s paycheck.

Give thanks to your hard working and dedicated employees.  Take the time to train them well, so that they fully understand their job and can be the best.  Make attempts to have a clean and safe environment for them, free of harmful chemicals.  Switch to all natural/organic cleaning and toiletry items, all natural bug sprays and all natural carpet cleaning.  Pay them a fair wage.

Give thanks to the people in other countries who make so many of the items we purchase in less than desirable conditions, some sweatshop conditions.  Make organic and Fair Trade purchases when possible.

Give thanks to those who have gone before us who had the foresight to conserve and preserve land as parks for wildlife and human enjoyment.  During your time off from work, visit your local parks (bring a bag and pick up the litter while you’re there!).  If you are a developer, consider not developing some of your property. That’s right.  Consider turning it over to an organization for conservation and/or preservation.