Comments on David Suzuki

I've had one reader talk a little about David Suzuki's talk here in Kamloops. I did hear that our Mayor, Mr. Lake, was getting the gears on Sunday.

It would be great to hear a little about that and what City Council's role and responsibility should be on the issue of the environment.

David Suzuki

I didn't get to see David Suzuki today here in Kamloops. So if anyone out there would like to leave a comment about how it went and what he had to say, that would be great.

The Winter Embarrassment

I'm embarrassed to say that after all of the hoopla over winning the International Communities in Bloom award, our city looks and smells like this...and the worst part is David Suzuki is going to be here tomorrow to see it...

Follow up to Today's Rex Murphy Show

I was really glad to hear Rex tackle the topic of global warming and what we are willing to do about it.

Towards the end of the show, he was talking to a guest whose name I didn't catch. But I do remember that I was quite disturbed by something he said. It went something like this...

As world leaders (the Western governments), we are responsible for leading the way in reversing the effects of global warming and cleaning up.

I'm not sure if this next part was said or if it was alluded to, but it went something like this...

We can't expect countries like China and India to do this.

This very ethnocentric view is what has gotten us into losing situations like Iraq and Afghanastan. I guess situations where we think we know best, and those who don't agree are savages that need to be taught a lesson.

This speaker also failed to mention that while India and China are huge contributors to this environmental problem, we are the ones who started it.

Our demand for bigger, cheaper, faster has led to mass industry in these countries. Countries where labour and materials are much cheaper than they are here in the west.

We've also created the American dream...the big house, big car, a boat...etc....This is something that people have died trying to acquire...and thus the need for more manufacturing and bigger stores...What the rest of the world doesn't realize is that without the constant, compulsive consumerism, there is actually nothing of substance there.

All of this has led to other very pertinent social issues such as obesity. If you look at other countries, the incidence of obesity is far less than it is here in North America. having travelled to many different countries, I have see that with the invasion of junk food and fast food, obesity is on the rise. All for what, to live the so-called American dream.

Yes, there need to be leaders in eradicating global warming. We can't rely on the governments of the world to do this. Nor can we rely on the west. As inhabitants of planet Earth, we need to take responsibility for this very large problem and act now.

Rex Murphy

Today Sunday February 4, 2007 from 1:00-3:00 (PST) on CBC, Rex Murphy is discussing the personal cost of decreasing global warming. I'm sure I'll post about the show. In the meantime, I'm listening and hope you will too.

Two Evils

This past year, I started shopping at Nature's Fare in Kamloops. Some of their prices are a bit higher, but I like the quality of their products. A lot of what I buy is organic - soups, biscuits, cookies...Organic is good for the environment and better for our bodies. The issue I have is the packaging. Chips, biscuits, cookies and such have a lot more packaging than conventional products of a similar type. Typically, there will be one or two cookies in foil or plastic packaging; all of these will be in a plastic tray; all of this will then be held together by a box or plastic wrap. So, we are doing something good for ourselves and supposedly for the environment. But ultimately, we are hurting our environment with all of the wrap that gets thrown away. I'm still trying to figure out which is the worse of the two evils.

Global Warming

This morning a report was released discussing the dire consequences of using fossil fuel. Now Green Peace is after Ottawa and our government to start rectifying this condition. The way it was expressed on Global was that without the leadership of our governments, there was little we could do.

Just because we vote for a complacent government, doesn't mean that we also have to be complacent. Perhaps it is because of complacency that we end up with a complacent government.

I don't know that things would be all that different with a different government (I believe that bureaucracy beats all of the best intentions down).

Individually, we can do so much and reverse the effects of our negligence. When I hear about young children who raise money and build wells in Africa, I know that we can fix this problem. It is time to wake up and take some responsibility for the condition of our Earth. Let's clean up, recycle, share, walk...whatever it takes.

The Air We Breath

I have travelled extensively overseas, and I'm always glad to come back to Kamloops. One time I was visiting after being away for almost four years and I started crying. It was snowing and quiet. I didn't think after being overseas for four years that there could be anything so beautiful. Now many of the places I've been to are filthy dirty. I spent a lot of time in Tsuchiura, Japan, a town north of Tokyo. I loved it as it reminded me a lot of Kamloops. Tsuchiura is located on the second largest lake in Japan. I also spent a lot of time around that lake. In the summer, it was impossible to walk by the lake without covering your mouth and nose. I wasn't the only one who couldn't stand the smell. Because of the heat, an algae rose from the bottom of the lake. This algae was the cause of the this horrible suffocating smell.

So what does this have to do with Kamloops?

Recently, the air is cloudy and smelly. Is this really cloud? Or is it pollution? This is much like what I saw in Japan. Our sunsets, while brilliant, are often like that because of the air quality. The sunsets in Japan were of the same quality. What's next? Our rivers? We rely on the Thompson River for everything...our recreation, our water...If the river isn't already affected, I'm afraid that it is next. If our rivers become the same as that poor lake in Japan, we are seriously compromising our quality of life. Do we really want to live in the environmental conditions that exist in Asia and many countries around the world? Now is the time to start taking care of our earth, our environment. What kind of home do we want in our future? What legacy are we leaving for the next generation?

The City of Kamloops and various businesses around town need to start taking some responsibility. As of right now, Earth is the only place where we can live, so it is time to clean up and take some responsibility not only for our house but also for our home, Earth.

Dining Out

Recently, I saw a feature on a new way to get food and eat. These young people were going into dumpsters and getting food that had been thrown out. They were finding food that hadn't been open and had only been expired for just a very short time. They worked together and created meals with what they had found. I had the impression that they also found vegetables, washed and ate them. This style of eating is not for everyone. However, perhaps it will make us think twice about throwing out unopened food just around the expiry date. Perhaps we should also consider that rather than opening the package and only eating a little bit we should just throw out the whole thing and let the dumpster divers have it. For those who might consider trying this new style of dining, you would certainly save money, cut down on the amount of garbage going out and definitely cut down on overall consumerism.

Christmas Recycling

I know that it has been a long time since I've written, but the Mid-Day News here in Kamloops inspired me to get going again.

Larry Reed interviewed a City person who said that along with our regular garbage can we can put out three standard size garbage bags for the first collection after Xmas.

I just want to remind everyone that much of what we might put out in the garbage can be recycled.

Xmas wrap along with the cardboard rolls can go into the mixed paper bin.
Xmas wrap that is in good shape can be saved and reused next year.
Tin cans can go into the food can bins and food bottles can go into the glass bin.
Your Christmas tree can go out to Cinnamon Ridge for composting.
Liquor bottles and cola cans can be cashed in at General Grants.
Unwanted gifts can be donated to the Salvation Army or God forbid...regifted.

Any other suggestions....Happy New Year and Happy Recycling!!!

My Mistake

So I mentioned in a previous post that you could get a refund for food cans and milk cartons. This is not the case. Food cans can be taken to the city bins. Even though the milk cartons look like the pictures at General Grants, it is only juice containers that look like this that get a refund. My apologies for any confusion.

Other Options

As you are sorting through your recycling and wondering where they go,think about donating things like egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, film canisters...etc...to the YM/YWCA or the Eureka Science Program. They can use these materials for arts and crafts or experiments.

Coffee

I love coffee and order coffee out at least one morning a week. Every time I get a coffee to go, I end up with a paper cup and sometimes even a styrofoam cup...Can you believe that there are coffee shops and restaurants that still use styrofoam???? Ahhhhhhh....Now I am as guilty as the next person in not using my own to go mug...In fact, there is quite the collection in our house. So here is what I propose...it should be the challenge of every coffee drinker who doesn't stay at the shop to carry a to go mug at all times...just in case...or perhaps the coffee shops should offer a cut in price for those who do use a to go mug...More than $.10 that Starbucks offers would be incentive enough to go through the effort of carrying and cleaning a to go mug on one's own.

City of Kamloops

When will you get a more comprehensive recycling program??????

Food

I love to eat, but the one thing that I cannot stand is food waste. Last night, I was at the Columbo Lodge for chicken, salad and pasta. Always the same; always good. Anyways, I learned at my previous visit, that anything that doesn't get eaten on the tables is thrown away. I asked about this again last night, and nothing had changed. I would like to see the unused food donated to the New Life Mission, the Women's Shelter or the Food Share program. I'm sure that any of these places would appreciate the donation. Now I understand that there is some law that holds an organization responsible if someone who eats the donated food becomes sick. I also understand that the organization cannot control what happens to the food once it gets to the table. Did someone have to stick their thumb into the platter of meat in order to pass the plate around? Did someone pick something off the serving plates with their fingers? However, there are some things that can be controlled. The ten people at our table only ate half a bowl of pasta; there were two pieces of chicken left over. The Columbo Lodge should give out smaller portions to each table. I know that some tables will go through two or three bowls of pasta, but the beauty of this is that the bowls can be refilled. Anything else left in the kitchen can be saved for next time orvery safely donated.

Dumpsters

Like I mentioned previously, I live in an apartment and all of our garbage is thrown into a communal dumpster. Because of my recycling efforts, it seems we are producing about half (if that) the garbage we once did. I only wish that other apartment dwellers were so conscience of what they throw out. This week when I put out my trash, I saw a baby's car seat with a few extras - blanket, rattle....I almost wanted to go in there and make sure that the baby wasn't in there too!!!! Now I know that baby seats need to be approved and probably have a limited life. But this seat looked in pretty good shape.

So here are some options for recycling (everything):

The City recycle bins take: food tins, milk jugs, cardboard, mixed paper and newspapers.

At General Grants, you can get money for: milk cartons/juice cartons, small plastic milk containers, juice boxes, cans, bottles, and food tins.

Donate old clothes and household goods to: Penny Pinchers, Salvation Army Thrift Store, Value Village and Big Brothers and Big Sisters (they take it to Value Village for $).

Take good used items to Mint Condition Boutique and the Mulberry Bush (children's items) on a consignment basis. (I'm sure the Mulberry Bush would know whether that car seat is any good).

Or have your own garage sale!!!

I apologize if I missed any place to recycle or donate, but as you can see there are lots ofthings you can do to keep your so-called garbage out of the landfill. As the commercial says, "return it; it's worth it!!!"

Dumpster Divers

Not only am I obsessive about recycling but I'm also obsessive about keeping an eye on our neighbourhood. I live in an apartment building, and through my neighbourhood watch, I've come to know who the regular dumpster divers are. I leave them be. These dumpster divers provide a very valuable service - they find the recyclables that they can cash in. This helps them get a bit of money and keeps recyclable material out of the dump. I was quite perturbed and disturbed lately on the last few of my neighbourhood watches. Other tenants were yelling at these dumpster divers that they were drunk bums and to get out. Like I said before, I know who the regulars are through the neighbourhood...They are relatively harmless. I asked them if they needed me to call the police. Of course not!!! I wish I had...I found the whole exchange upsetting and very unnecessary. So the next time you stoop so low as to yell off dumpster divers, think about a few things. They need a bit of cash, they do a job that is below what Canadians are willing to do for work and they do a good service for our environment.

This is obviously the first post to this blog. I am very concerned about the environment, the earth and our future on this planet we are so lucky to call home. I have become obsessive about recycling for many reasons including the ones above. This blog will be my experiences and observations as I work to recreate a healthy environment for myself and the rest of the inhabitants in this city and on this earth.