Blog# 142 A New Year’s Resolution: Living for a Cleaner World
Like many people probably feel, I am conflicted about living a cleaner, responsible life and having individual freedom. It feels good to recycle materials, but since many countries where the US used to send recyclables no longer accept these materials, I wonder where much of what we recycle goes now – into US landfills? And if the trash goes to undeveloped countries across the globe, we are still one planet and one world, and pollution, especially air and water, but also land, eventually affects us all. The nuclear reactor damage in Japan several years ago resulted in contamination of fish and seaweed, both of which Japan exports to other countries. Canadian wildfires affected much of the US, but also other nations, since air currents travel around the globe. Non-recyclable trash collects in waste dumps, gigantic piles or trash islands in our bodies of water.
Most people in developed countries, especially in the U.S. live extravagantly compared with the much of the rest of the world. In 2002, when I traveled to Paris, I was impressed by a museum exhibit showing how much garbage individuals living in various countries produced. The US produced more than double that of the second highest country. France only produced one quarter the garbage that the US produced at the time. Among the least wasteful nations were undeveloped ones, such as Bangladesh. Today, the US, which has four percent of the world’s population, produces 12 percent of its trash.
Lifestyles in the more prosperous nations result in more air and water pollution. Mass agricultural practices deplete the earth of nutrients and contaminate air, water and soil. War, whether it involves chemicals, biological agents, nuclear weapons, non-nuclear bombs, fires, or destruction of infrastructure, such as pipelines, delivers massive harm to the countries involved, and ultimately, to the planet. While I am not a fan of 15 minute cities, I can understand why they could be useful and helpful in possibly reducing pollution as long as they were not used as prisons. These types of cities are already present or developing in the about twenty nations, including the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Denmark, France, England and the US. A fifteen minute city is one where you usually no longer need a car, since you can bike or walk to all the businesses and facilities you need, such as schools, churches, grocery stores, doctors, hospitals, hardware stores, movie theaters, restaurants, and so on.
I realize that the problems we face may appear overwhelming, and there is only so much each individual can do, but I figure if I make some changes this year, such as driving, say 50% less than last year, and buying much fewer products in packaging, that will be of some tiny help. It’s better than doing nothing, in my opinion. And the mrore people do this, the better the results. On the level of individual health, it also helps to have water filters and air purifiers at home and to buy organic, wild caught, grass-fed and free-range as much as possible, if you can afford to do so. Besides individual gardens and homesteads, farmers’ markets are usually the best sources of foods, and buying organic or biodynamic supports responsible farming methods. With this, I wish you a happy, healthy, safe, prosperous Life for all of 2024 and beyond.
This blog’s offer: contact me for information regarding recommended air and water purifiers, and to get a quality Chiropractic, Acupuncture, or maybe a Hypnosis session or Flower Essence therapy to start off the New Year in a strong, positive way. Peace.
