Zero Waste Home

While doing some research online for an article I was writing about resourcefulness, I discovered a great blog called The Zero Waste Home. A few years ago a Bea Johnson became aware of just how wasteful her and her family's lifestyle, as well as the general person's, tends to be. She made the commitment to be a home that produces no rubbish. Her mantra is "Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot (and only in that order)." Now here blog has a massive following. Today, she is involved in media and speaking engagements to share stories, tips and the benefits of Zero Waste living as well as running a home consulting services on decluttering, living simply and waste reduction.

Here are some of my favourite tips:

1. Get your 4Rs right. Refuse-Reduce-Reuse… Recycle only as a last resort
2. Shop at farmer's markets. There will be little packaging and they will take your egg cartons and berry containers back next week.
3. Learn to love tap water rather than buying plastic bottled water all the time.
4. Use the cold water coming out of your shower while it heats up to water the plants in your bathroom (you do have plants in your bathroom, don't you now?)
5. Open a window instead of plugging in an air freshener (simple and obvious but how many people opt for the freshener)
6. Recycle old mobile phones
7. Do not use everyday antibacterial products, they make bad bacteria stronger.

Wasteful living has a very detrimental effect on us and on the Earth. As best described by Anup Shah, “Humans have been expanding, exploring, migrating, conquering, utilizing, evolving, civilizing, industrializing, and now, destroying the very land upon which we live.” We are using more resources than the Earth can supply and one day, sooner rather than later, they will run out. In fact some believe most of the wars in the future will be over the acquisition of resources.

Check out Zero Waste Home at http://www.zerowastehome.blogspot.com/ and take up the challenge of applying all the tips she outlines.

Happy 50th Birthday WWF

The golden birthday, the Big Five-O, the 50th birthday is a special life-marker worthy of a big celebration. For many it's a time to reflect but also a time to start slowing down to an easier pace, dreaming of retirement, holidays and reaping the rewards of many years of hard work.

But there is one 50 year old showing no signs of slowing down, in fact each year brings new strength and energy. On April 29, 2011 WWF celebrated 50 years of environmental conservation. Since the organisation's inception, WWF has made significant contributions around the globe including;

- Fighting to save the Borneo rainforests, homes to orang utans, pygmy elephants, rhinos and clouded leopards since 2007
- Helped gorilla numbers increase by working with local communities in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to genrate more money via ecotourism.
- Helped to ensure four-fifths of the amazon is still in good condition.
- Working with countries where the five remaining species of tigers live to build pulic, political and financial support to double tiger numbers by 2022.
- Working with countries to reduce net carbon emmissions to zero from deforestation and forest degradation by 2020 with 67 countries so far signed to this commitment including Indonesia and Brazil
- 50 years of building environmental awarness through many campaigns
- Saved the Arabian Oryx from extinction by taking a herd into captivity in 1962 and reintroducing them into the wild a decade later when the last wild oryx had been killed (now there are 150 in the wild with 68 more ready to be reintroduced).

To find out more about their successes visit ttp://wwf.ca/about_us/successes/50th_anniversary.cfm



In the next 50 years there is no doubt that the WWF will continue to work tirelessly to conserve our environment. This 50 year old has many good year in it yet!

Remember to always give a gift on a birthday. Donate today at http://www.wwf.org/