WaterNotes

be blue

Even the most irrepressible climate change skeptic cannot deny the existence of the current problems we face in wildlife conservation.   EO Wilson calls this juggernaut of threats to biodiversity “HIPPO”.  Or, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, population increase, and overharvesting. 

Even if our climate never changes to the point of disaster, these issues will still exist and still pose threats to wildlife, to our ecosystems, and ultimately to ourselves.  Incredibly, these issues are not beyond our reach or control.  Making green choices can have a massively positive effect on the HIPPO issues. 

In recognition of this, I’d like to track the changes I’ve embraced that keep my oceans clean, my estuaries beautiful and keep me healthy.  If any of these resonate with you, challenge yourself to adopt them. 

• Use canvas shopping bags and recycle the errant plastic ones.  One of the biggest lessons I taught during field trips was the sad relationship between sea turtles and plastic bags.  I figure if I’m going to give this message to thousands of fourth-graders I should follow it myself. 
• Put the produce directly into the basket.  I dont bother with those flimsy goofy produce bags any more.  Honestly, in my twenty-five years of life I dont think I ever learned how to properly operate the silly things anyway!  One less headache for me, and also good for those turtles! 
• Experimented with green cleaning products from Method and Seventh Generation.  I haven’t gotten to the stage of using their recycled paper TP (whoa!), but I do like their glass cleaners, hand soaps (w/o Triclosan!), microfiber cloths, stainless polish, shower spray, and dishwasher liquid.  And they smell so good!
• Attempting to eat more organic foods.  Organic bananas, apples, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and the stray grandfather-grown cabbage and cucumber have found their way into my life.  My grandfather grows a mean cucumber. 
• Expanding upon my vegetable gastronomic adventures.  If there’s one thing I know, its that plants are good.  They’re beautiful, they taste good, they’re supposed to make up the bulk of the human diet, they make oxygen for me to breathe (oh and for you too).  One of the best dietary switches I made in 2007 was to Silk’s Vanilla soymilk.  Delicious!  (As is the chocolate version!)
• Switching to rechargeable batteries.  Given my predilection for taking photos and my camera’s insatiable greed for double-A’s, this just seemed the smart thing to do.  In most states you can recycle normal used batteries but you cant in sunny Florida. 
• Shutting down the phantom.  Phantom energy is the juice that’s wasted on appliances that, even when off, draw from the grid.  My computer backup was a big one and so was the coffee maker, Sonicare charger, phone charger, and DVD! My electric bill sunk 18%!
• Converting the aquarium.  I converting the lights from CFs to T5s and moved the powerheads over to ultra-efficient pumps which move about ten times the amount of water but eat a quarter of the watts! 
• Growing some food!  I may only have a patio but my basil, tomatoes, strawberries, romaine lettuce, and stevia don’t mind.