7 SIMPLE WAYS YOU CAN SAVE OUR PLANET

SIMPLE STEPS TO  GLOBAL WELLNESS

Hello everyone and welcome to another #WELLNESS WEDNESDAY. Now, usually we discuss Wellness as it pertains to us as individuals. After all, as a survivor of three different cancers this topic is very close to my heart.

But, today we’re going to discuss WELLNESS IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT. Because, Wellness is not just an individual human concept based on a personal level. What we eat. How we think. When we exercise.

True WELLNESS extends to our families, friends, communities, cities and countries – as well as the oceans, mountains and skies of our Beloved Planet Earth. Wellness does not end with us. Rather, it begins with us and continues and expands into everything we touch and everything we hold dear.

The way we live as individuals has a dramatic effect on the wellness of our environment and every other being on the planet. For example:

• According to the California Coastal Commission, it’s estimated that over one million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year.
• The World Health Organization states that people who live in places with high levels of air pollutants have a twenty-percent higher risk of death from lung cancer than those in less polluted areas.
• And, the United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that the Mississippi River carries an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution into the Gulf of Mexico each year creating a “dead zone” in the gulf, that forty-percent of American lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming or aquatic life AND that 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water and industrial waste are dumped into American waters each year.

And, of course, that’s the bad news. But, the good news is that each and every one of us can be a powerful force for positive change, improvement and enlightenment – just by doing a few simple things.

So today, I’ve created 7 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES of GLOBAL WELLNESS and all you have to do is pick one thing from each category — make it a part of your everyday routine – and change the world for the better 🙂

READY – SET – GO!   7 SIMPLE WAYS YOU CAN SAVE OUR PLANET:

1) BE WATER-WISE.

• Turn off the tap. Don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth, shaving or washing dishes.
• Fix leaks. One leaking toilet can waste 200 gallons of water a day.
• Install low-flow showerheads and toilets.
• Recycle shower water. Use a recycler that will filter your used shower water and fill your toilet for flushing.
• Fill it Up. Washing full loads of laundry on cold will save 3,400 gallons of water each year.

2) USE LESS ELECTRICITY.

• Change your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs last 8 times longer and use two-thirds less energy.
• Program your thermostat. Avoid using energy for an empty house. Also, turning the heat down 2 degrees in the winter and the AC up 2 degrees in the summer will prevent 880 pounds of carbon dioxide from warming the earth.
• Go Green. Buying renewable energy from your utility or installing solar power are great ways to go green.
• Plug in a laptop. Your laptop or tablet uses about half the energy of the typical desktop computer.
• Paint your walls a lighter color so they require less artificial light.

3) RECYCLE.

• Buy glass. Purchase products in packaging that can be reused and recycled easily.
• Use rechargeable batteries. Especially for frequently used devices.
• Use both sides. This goes for copying and printing anything.
• Use recycled paper. Always. Better yet – go paperless for correspondence, bills and banking. After all, that’s why email and texting were invented😊
• Separate waste into paper, plastic, cans and food. All can be recycled and many food remains like coffee grounds and eggshells can be used for composting.

4) EAT MINDFULLY.

• Support your Farmer’s Market where purchases typically have been exposed to fewer chemicals and preservatives.
• Try organic beer. Conventionally grown hops are sprayed up to twelve times a year.
• Eat sustainable seafood. Check with Seafood Watch to see what seafood is caught using sustainable practices and is in season.
• Find locally sourced meat. Industrial farming practices are harmful for many reasons. Support your local small farms and know exactly where and how your meat choices are raised.
• Meatless Mondays. Forgoing meat and eating only veggies just one day a week will help reduce fresh water and land usage, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

5) REDUCE WASTE.

• Add a water filter. Drink filtered water from your own faucet and your own washable thermos instead of buying water in plastic bottles.
• Buy locally. Local goods require less paper and plastic for shipping. Less packaging equals less trash in the landfill.
• Use your own mug in the office instead of plastic, paper or polystyrene cups.
• On-line smart shopping. Know how far your items have to travel. Less travel results in less energy used.
• Stop Junk Mail. Go to optoutprescreen.com and catalogchoice.org to stop receiving pre-approved credit card offers and unwanted catalogs. If every American did this, we could save up to one million trees a year!

6)  RESPECT WILDLIFE.

• Plant native shrubs and flowers that attract and sustain wildlife.
• Place bird feeders and bird baths in the yard.
• Use natural barriers for pest control instead of chemical pesticides. Try cinnamon, peppermint or talcum powder. And, use cedar chips or cloves indoors instead of mothballs.
• Use humane traps for rats, mice and moles — and then relocate them where they can remain an important part of the bio-system.
• Cut up the plastic ring holders on beverages. They can choke and trap both land and water animals.

7) DRIVE SMARTER.

• Slow down. 50 miles an hour instead of 70 uses 25 percent less fuel.
• Check your Tires. Purchase radial tires and keep them properly inflated. Underinflated tires decrease fuel economy by 3 percent.
• Lighten up on the pedal. Hard braking and accelerating reduces fuel economy. Easy does it!
• Dispose of car oil properly. It contains lead, nickel and cadmium.
• Hybrids and Electric. They are the future. If you already drive one, good for you! And, of course, carpool whenever you can.

Always remember, the road to a better world begins with us. All you have to do is pick one suggestion from each category to begin making a difference. Just as we are responsible for our own Health and Wellness – we too are responsible for our Planet’s Health and Wellness. And, never forget, SMALL STEPS LEAD TO BIG CHANGES!

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. AND, TOGETHER WE WILL RISE. Saving our Planet in one small way, one day at a time will result in a healthier, safer and more beautiful world not only for us – but for generations to come!

Many thanks to everyone for joining me today. In the coming months, we’ll have more discussions about the ways in which we can help our beautiful Mother Earth to get healthy and stay well. For as we all know, THERE IS NO PLANET B.

Until then stay in GOOD HEALTH and . . .

TAKE THE COURSE AND TAKE CHARGE!