Recently I wrote about Plastic-free July. Did you participate in the challenge of saying no to single-use plastic? I thought I’ve been conscientious for several years, but I still ended up using more plastic than I wanted. My biggest tip to reduce your use of plastic is to plan ahead. We had an Independence Day Party. I purchased decorations and party favors at a local craft store. I like my house to be decorated for the occasion and to keep the guests occupied. I kinda waited until the last minute, so I ran to a local craft store to look for decorations. I was tempted to purchase decorative LED lights. I wasn’t happy about the plastic used in the LED lights, but they were so darn cute and sparkly that I couldn’t resist the temptation. I found all kinds of cute decorations made with one-time-use plastic. I found a streamer made with fabric and wooden beads so I purchased it. One thing I felt guilty about was buying bubbles for guests in plastic bottles. I was getting desperate to keep my guests occupied. I found BINGO games online and trivia games where the correct answer won Silver Kennedy Dollars. I didn’t plan ahead so I gave out the United States quarters. Another prize we had was red, white, and blue candy. I placed it in used glass jars. Then I felt bad about each candy wrapped in plastic.
That brings us to August. The Special Days in August are:
August 9: International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples; According to the United Nations Secretary-General Throughout modern history, indigenous peoples have been robbed of their lands and territories, of their political and economic autonomy, and even of their own children. Their cultures and languages have been denigrated and extinguished.
August 10: World Lion Day; A Century ago, there were more than 200,000 wild lions living in Africa. Today, there are only about 20,000; lions are extinct in 26 African countries and have vanished from over 95 percent of their historic range. a century ago, there were more than 200,000 wild lions living in Africa. Today, there are only about 20,000; lions are extinct in 26 African countries and have vanished from over 95 percent of their historic range.
August 12: World Elephant Day; promote safe, ethical elephant tourism. Do not support organizations that exploit or abuse elephants and other animals for entertainment and profit. Do not buy ivory or other wildlife products. Be an elephant-aware consumer.
August 19: World Orangutan Day; look to see if palm oil is an ingredient in products you use. Palm oil is a key ingredient in many foods and body products. And the population of Orangutans is diminishing due to the harvest of palm oil.
August 22: National Honey Bee Day*; If you like to eat, you should care about bees, they pollinate food crops and wild plants.
August 23: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition; The night August 22, 1791, in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
August 26: Women's Equality Day*; both environmental and women’s activism are extremely intersectional fights. In each area, individuals of varied races, ethnicities, economic status, gender, and citizenship status are disproportionately affected by these movements’ encompassing issues.
By Naomi Yaeger
This July participate in a challenge: avoid single-use plastic for the month of July.
Begin at the grocery store. Pack your own lunch using reusable containers or waxed fabric for sandwiches.
Shop at a farmers market. Talk to the farmer who grew your food. It's a fun experience.
Razors, toothbrushes, and flossing picks, and many toiletries are available as alternatives. How about your shampoo? It’s possible to get nice shampoo in bar form. Laundry detergent is also available as a powder or on strips of paper. You can refill shampoo and detergents at a co-op.
Keep a spoon, fork, and small knife, along with a straw in your purse or your vehicle glove compartment. You never know when they will become handy and aid in your refusal of plastic.
Has the pandemic got you thinking you can’t use your own bag? (This might make people think they shouldn’t bring their own bag. I think most scientific studies agree that covid isn’t spread by bringing your own bag.) Ask the cashier to place the items back in your grocery cart, take your cart to your car and bag them there.
BYO reusable water bottles instead of buying plastic ones
Reduce the number of soft drink bottles used (e.g. consume less or make your own ‘soda’)
Prepare lunch boxes without plastic wrap
Choose alternatives or avoid plastic bottles of milk and juice
Pick up litter in public places
Celebrate in style with plastic-free decorations.
We purchased a subscription to a brand with a naughty name, “Who Gives a Crap,” toilet paper. A case of toilet paper is shipped to us periodically; the rolls wrapped in pretty paper with pithy sayings; no plastic wrapping. The company helps build toilets and washing facilities across the world.
Keep a journal of your daily use of disposable plastic. Hosting a July 4th party? See how decorative and fun you can be without using plastics.
Visit PlasticFreeJuly.org
(Do you feel a call to care for creation? Join the sustainability committee at your house of worship, or learn more about becoming a United Methodist Earthkeeper https://umcmission.org/EarthKeepers/ Contact Naomi at sun_dog_press@yahoo.com, (218) 591-5277))
Ecclesiastes 3:20
By Naomi Yaeger
UMC Earthkeeper
When I was a girl the first television advertisements for menstrual products (period products) upset many people. The public didn’t think this should be mentioned on TV or at all, especially in mixed company. We had
We had the “Modess...because” ad campaigns. Now, actress Amy Schummer is “turning question marks into periods,” on the web and TV.
Because of society's reluctance to speak about tampons and pads - there is something called “period poverty.” Nobody wants to talk about that either. Period poverty is when a family can’t afford menstrual products. Many times, especially in third world countries, girls will drop out of school when their first period arrives. What did American women do years ago when they got their periods? Our grandmothers used fabric menstrual pads. Would that have been gross or embarrassing? It was just part of life.
Our mothers used manufactured pads they attached to a belt worn around the waist. Pads attached to panties with self-adhesive were considered a great improvement. They and insertable tampons were and still are an option.
Now many tampons have plastic applicators, which are immediately thrown in the trash, The packaging and the lining of pads is often plastic also.
About eight years ago my daughter discovered a reusable menstrual product branded “Party in My Pants.” This is a woman-owned company that makes menstrual pads and liners. They are headquartered in Ashland, Wi and make their products “with love.” (partypantspads.com)
There is also a medical-grade silicone device called a menstrual cup. It is inserted near the cervix and catches the flow. There are different sizes of cups depending on the flow. The initial investment for one of these, like the Diva Cup, is $30.
Not only will you save money...you will be using less plastic.
To paraphrase Psalm 139:14
You are amazingly and miraculously made. God’s works are miraculous.
By Naomi Yaeger
Spending time outside in nature can heal you, both physically and mentally.
During COVID lockdown, Terry and I took many walks with our dog. We noticed budding leaves and flowers, then spring arrived. In the summer, as Terry continued to work from home, we continued to walk. Soon Autumn arrived. The same leaves, which were buds, were now turning yellow, orange, or red and falling.
In December, I donated to the Nature Conservancy. With my donation, they invited me to attend a nearby event. The closest one I could find was a Zoom presentation titled," Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative." The featured speaker is Florence Williams, author of "The Nature Fix." She's also written several magazine articles such as "Is Your Noisy Neighborhood Slowly Killing You?" in Mother Jones, and "Fight the Winter Blues, Find a Dose of Nature." in the Wall Street Journal, and "Take Two Hours of Pine Forest and Call me in the Morning," Outside Magazine.
According to Outside magazine, "Florence Williams travels to the deep woods of Japan, where researchers are backing up the theory that nature can lower your blood pressure, fight off depression—and even prevent cancer."
The Japanese are seriously researching how "forest bathing" affects health. This reminds me of the Bible stories of Jesus spending time in nature when he had a big decision to make. I recall specific significant transitions in life when I've spent time in nature.
The COVID shutdowns spurred Terry, our dog, and me to walk nature trails near our home. We feel better after a walk.
Shh, don't tell Terry, he's getting his Christmas wish -- walking sticks.
Learn the scientific reasons for feeling better with time in nature: join me, read Florence Williams' "The Nature Fix," or visit her website at www.FlorenceWilliams.com.
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| Terry walking with MaggieBW in the CSS woods. |
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| Naomi walking in Chester Park with dog MaggieBW. |
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| Terry walking with a stick down an unused ski hill in the spring. |
For God So Loved the World
By Naomi Yaeger,
UMC Earthkeeper
Christmas is coming. Have you thought about sustainable gifts you could give?
My friend gave me toilet paper for my birthday!
It was not because of COVID and hoarding situations, but because the company doesn’t use plastic for packaging and because it’s made from bamboo, which grows faster than trees. It arrived “pre-gift-wrapped” in colorful paper. The company gives 50% of its profits to building bathrooms.
I feel a little naughty writing this in, but the company's name is “Who Gives a Crap” - whogivesacrap.org. The company gives money to WASH, which stands for Water Sanitation and Hygiene.
As a United Methodist, I’m proud that WASH is a recipient of the Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church Advance # 3020600.
Think about what YOU could do this Christmas to bless a friend or family member with a sustainable, useful gift.
I’m giving bars of soap I made at a local business Mix Cosmetiques mixcosmetiques.com .
Some 10 % of everything Mix Cosmetiques sells goes to teaching women in Uganda how to make cosmetics and start their own businesses.
When Christians think of Christmas, they often think of John:3:16 -- how God reached out to them to enter into a personal relationship. I want you to remember how much God loves YOU. In addition, this Christmas, look again at what God loves enough to send God’s own Son—the world. God’s own creation! All of creation, not just humans. If God so loved the world, then we also need to. Choose at least one aspect of creation and love it through your actions and advocacy.
By Naomi Yaeger
UMC Earthkeeper
Every year in September thousands of volunteers come out to keep beaches all over the world healthy, safe and beautiful. The Alliance for the Great Lakes, a non-profit is sponsoring an Adopt-A-Beach Campaign to clean beaches.“You can pick up trash by yourself and that’s great,” Sharon Moen said. Sharon is leading a group near the Lake Superior Estuarium in Superior. But the difference in the group clean-up efforts is that they will keep data on what type of trash is collected and send it back to the Alliance for the Great Lakes. We have a human print on how we are affecting our rivers, waterways and oceans. And of course, there is the socially distanced human interaction with the event.
Several non-profits have joined together to share in the beach cleanups in September: The Ocean Conservancy, The Alliance for the Great Lakes and the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve.
Sharon has led groups in beach cleanups for more than 10 years and says the item most commonly found is cigarette butts. “The plastic filters do not degrade,” she said, “they will sit there on the beach for a long, long time.” Also the chemicals leached from cigarette butts are not good for aquatic life.
The most interesting trash Sharon has found is one-half a bowling ball. And the most fun thing she found is surf balls or “whale burps,” -- tightly wound organic matter in the shape of an egg.Sharon will provide trash bags, latex gloves and facemasks. The first few to sign up will get the “really nice,” face masks.
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Painting by Adam Swanson |
the plastics industry is planning to ramp up their production of plastic. It’s touted as the movie, “Big Plastic hopes you won’t see.”
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| Homemade costumes |
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| Ghosts decor made of cloth |
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| Packing lunch for #Plasticfreejuly. "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong. Can you guess which thing is not like the others before I finish my song?" |
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| How many brand names of single use plastic do you see in this shopping cart? |
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| Some good sameration filled this shopping cart with litter. Notice all the single-use plastic |
