Dear Ones,
First of all, if we really love Earth, our only universal home that provides us with our sole nourishment and energy, then we must capitalize our precious home, as all the other planets get this respect. Secondly, we must think before we continue to smother Earth in contaminates and plastic. Begin with something easy–a simple plastic straw. What did people do before they had them? Is it really necessary to suck up water or in fact any beverage through plastic made from toxic chemicals?
Follow me through my recent experiment when a fast food waitress brought me a straw for my glass of water. I didn't ask for one and never picked it up from the table–untouched–no human hands– straight from the assembly line where it was completely sealed in a cover for sanitation. I asked her, "Since I didn't open this straw, would you throw it out or put it back in the container it came from? She told me, "I'd throw it out." I asked why. "Because it wouldn't be sterile–it was on the table. Besides that's our policy."
This may be the straw that broke the camel's back–Mother Earth overladen with needless plastic. After I thanked her for her information and she left the table where my husband and I were sitting, I looked around at the same table and observed plastic salt & pepper shakers and bottles of ketchup, hot sauce and other condiments that the public touches, often with unwashed hands. I have no problem with this. These unwrapped conataminated objects haven't hurt anyone so far, or as far as I know. Meanwhile, millions of unused and used plastic straws keep piling up in garbage landfills in our dump & run world society.
Now the story doesn't end without a solution. It's our choice whether we want to use a straw or not, but if we choose not to to do so, how can the Department of Energy justify thowing out unused protected straws with other items touched by kids and adults alike–all acovered with fingerprints. However, we can be smarter than nonsensical government regulations by taking care of probems in our own way.
We can solve this mountain of a problem by saying to those serving us, "Please bring me a glass of water but no straw." Then, you can bring the problem to the attention of the management regarding environmental waste. And to the restaurant's advantage, it can now be advertised as an evvironmental conscious establishment, that will bring in more money–the bottom line. The power is in each one of our hands. It's just a fraction of the big picture that needs to be remedied, but at least it's something each one of us can do easily. It's a universal start to help through free education and reasonable policies of our own making.
Mame
