4 posts tagged “sustainable”

Nice place for a romantic vacation and a drink

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Machu piccuu: worth preserving

Four continents worth of cuisine. Over a thousand colorful birds - and some of the most unique multicultural pottery and artwork in the world. I bet they make one hell of a happy hour drink.

Peru: Home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world. The country's name means "land of abundance". Wildlife are indeed abundant here. Peru has more fish species than any other country on Earth. They are 2nd in number of bird fauna and 3rd in mammal species.

The Peruvian booby is found nowhere else on Earth except Peru. Although they are the  top producer of silver, copper and zinc, Peru has a 50 percent poverty rate.

Peruvian booby found nowhere else on Earth

Today there is good news for Peru: BBC reports that the government there has decided to set a goal of zero percent deforestation in just ten years. Zero percent. Do they literally mean zero percent? No. But setting such a goal means they are dead serious about saving their forests. I can't think of a more beautiful place for this to happen.

Baby_tamarin needs his forest!

Peru's plan:

Protect 17 million hectares of extant National Parks

Set aside 12 million hectares for native peoples

Set aside 21 million for sustainable forestry

And 5 million for eco-tourism.

A 50 percent poverty rate means the old ways of illegal logging, commercial deforestation and selling to oil companies is not working: eco-tourism and a 'green' economy will save Peru for all of us to enjoy.

He's worth the effort

Have you ever taken a harbor cruise and seen these wonderful beings hauled out on the rocks? It's not just cute. I get a total sense of peace when I see them.

But now - no more harbor seals? This week BBC reports that harbor seals have begun a frightening population decline in the U.K.

Since 2001, harbor seal numbers have been declining by 10 percent every year in the Orkney Islands area and in many other places. The cause is still a mystery, but disease and illegal hunting of harbor seals is suspected.

What can we each do to make sure our peacebeings are safe?

* Eat less fish. Fishing nets and illegal hunting of seals by fishermen is a huge problem for harbor seals. Of course there may be some sustainable fish food out there, but beware of Greenwashing! (I love saying that)

* Put them oil companies out of business. In grad school we are studying the long-term effects of oil spills and global warming caused by fossil fuels. The Valdez spill alone killed 200 harbor seals. In the near future you will see a post about how the Valdez spill is still affecting marine animals .

* Reduce, reuse, recycle, Reduce! Trash, especially plastic, is harming harbor seals.

And enjoy the harbor seals - a winter walk on the beach is a great way to see them!!!

Flowers

I love when new words are added to our language. Here's my favorite new word:

Greenwashing.

Technically speaking, Greenwashing is when a store or corporation advertises something as eco-friendly when it is really not.  

I also think the term has a broader meaning, like the word "Brainwashing". They try to confuse you. Companies bombard us with these terms without a real explaination of just why their actions are suddenly different than all the other toxic, destructive, Earth-ruining actions they've always practiced.

The timing of this word is perfect. We are getting a new, probably eco-friendly president. But habitat loss is happening faster than ever. What's more, the trend towards sustainable products has created the inevitable buzzwords like "eco-friendly" and "green". Observe the messages of "Made with eco-friendly pine"! or "Check out our selection of Green cleaning products"! Do you ever feel confused when you read these signs? I sure do.

So if you hear Exxon or Walmart showing off their "Sustainable" practices, walk away and mumble the word Greenwashing. Then go out and buy some nice rings from your local craftswoman or visit your favorite local apple orchard. In the meantime I will look for deceptive advertising and I will post it here for our amusement!  ;)

What are your favorite ways to reduce, reuse & recycle?

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This is such an important question to me, I may do a short version now and add more later. What is so vital about Reduce Reuse Recycle is to know that it is listed in order of importance.

Most people are fabulous at practicing the last one, Recycle. But what does that one really mean, and what about the first two? Especially Reduce. I mean, how many of us keep track of what we don't buy?

Here is my list:

 

* REDUCE - basically means buying less stuff.

I'm not so good at this one yet. J and I now try to enjoy ourselves with activities rather than by buying stuff. For example, we try to go to museums or movies for fun. If we can take our bikes or the train there, all the better.

REUSE - Getting the most out of what you already have instead of acquiring new things.

I really excel at this one. Collecting fun travel mugs has prevented me from having to use a cup for take out coffee for several years now. Buying used furniture can fall under this category too. Much better than cutting down trees.   Reusable shopping bags have saved me from needing hundreds of plastic or paper bags in a really short period of time. And some stores give discounts that are between 1 to 5 cents per bag!

RECYCLE - can have several meanings beyond the colorful bins outside our homes.

"100 Percent Post-Consumer-Recycled" means that the product you're buying was made using only that stuff you put in the recycling bin. I'm for it.