Why complain about $4/gallon gas when paying $20/gallon for water?

 I am baffled by people who regularly buy bottled water unless they live in Flint, Michigan or other municipalities with known problems in the water supplies. Consumer Reports has tested so-called pure spring water and found it no better than municipal water supplies and sometimes much worse. Bottled water comes in plastic that is made from petroleum and is a major source of waste. 

Even the small percentage of plastic bottles that get sent for recycling don't always get recycled. Recycling is a n energy intensive process.

Time to do the math, consider the environment, and stop buying bottled water. Buy a steel water bottle and use it.

"Some noncarbonated bottled water products sold in the U.S. and tested as part of a new study contained potentially toxic PFAS chemicals, prompting calls for the federal government to set standards covering the chemicals.

The study, published in the journal Water Research and led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, detected PFAS substances in 39 out of more than 100 bottled waters tested, in some cases at levels deemed concerning by water quality experts."

Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/bottled-water/pfas-in-bottled-water-new-study-finds-a1111233122/

 

 

Six Key Lifestyle Changes Can Help Avert the Climate Crisis

 Less Stuff, More Joy! “Take the Jump”

Six Key Lifestyle Changes Can Help Avert the Climate Crisis

In February the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its “bleakest warning yet,” saying the climate crisis was accelerating rapidly with only a narrow chance left of avoiding its worst ravages. But don’t give up hope.

Governments and individuals making small changes can have a huge impact in reducing carbon emissions. These six steps could cut global emissions by between 25% and 27%:

1.      Eat a largely plant-based diet, with healthy portions and no waste

2.      Buy no more than three new items of clothing per year

3.      Keep electrical products for at least seven years

4.      Take no more than one short haul flight every three years and one long haul flight every eight years

5.      Get rid of personal motor vehicles if you can – and if not keep hold of your existing vehicle for longer (or go electric)

6.      Make at least one life shift to nudge the system, like moving to a green energy, insulating your home or changing pension supplier

‘Taking The JUMP’ is to try the shifts mentioned above for 1, 3 or 6 months. Even if you can’t keep to it 100%, you can still ‘take The JUMP’ and just do what you can.

We'll offer tips, encouragement and people you can speak to help along the way. Check out: https://takethejump.org/ 

 

The wisdom of frugality: Why less is more-- more or less

The book The wisdom of frugality: Why less is more-- more or less by Emrys Westacott. Michelle Singletary, personal finance writer for the Washington Post writes in her review of this book: "Given the number of multimillionaires tapped for Cabinet positions under President-elect Donald Trump, I wonder if frugality will soon be considered un-American." Singletary continues: "Since our next president is someone who represents the opposite of thrift, perhaps our country should be reminded of the virtues of living below one’s means. Thus, to celebrate the new year, this month’s pick for the Color of Money Book Club is Westacott’s The Wisdom of Frugality: Why Less is More — More or Less. The start of a new year is a good time to contemplate one's true personal values... not those that we verbalize but the values that we live by. This book promises a wonderful exploration of the values of living a simple life, which in America still means living a more luxurious life than available to anyone else in the world.
The book evolved from a college course on frugal living “Tightwaddery: The Good Life on a Dollar a Day” with an emphasis on exploring the philosophical background of frugal living. Read an interview with the author, a philosopher, at: http://press.princeton.edu/releases/m10821.html