It’s only fitting that today, Earth Day, I make mention of the responsibility of caring for our HOME.
This IS our home, but like irresponsible and selfish little children, we’ve messed it up. Our “Mom” (Mother Earth) has been trying to tell us. The animals, plants, oceans, atmosphere, insects have been trying to tell us too. The climate is … s c r e a m i n g … at us to pay attention. Still we spew, still we pollute, still we ignore the cries of a damaged ecosystem.
We think it’s someone else’s responsibility. The guy next door, the crazy environmentalists, the government or some other country. In fact - it’s everyone’s job…. yours, mine, the government and the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we haven’t been too good at it.
This ‘hippie’ thing started in the 70’s - 39 years ago, to be exact. It looked good for awhile but then people forgot. They continued to drive their gas guzzling cars, made by car companies with interests in the oil industry; the government blind and deaf except to the whispers of the lobbyists and corporate America.
Electricity consumption - fueled by our voracious need for luxuries and entertainment and unnecessary ‘necessities,’ has jumped despite electricity saving techniques. One family showcased on TV had a monthly bill of over $700! How can this be? What do they NEED that their costs should be so much? How can they save? Do they even TRY?
What are YOU doing to help this Earth? Not just today, when we can proudly say ‘We celebrated EARTH DAY’ - but EVERY SINGLE DAY? What is your water useage? Do you waste water? What about electricity? How much can you save by really making an effort - not just putting band-aids on things. How about your driving? Have you gone back to driving more since gas prices went down? What are you giving back to the earth, instead of taking away?
What are you doing to be environmentally responsible - instead of irresponsible? Are you really making a difference - every day?
The environment is tops on everyone’s list. Browse the ‘new and notable’ tables at your favorite book store and GREEN jumps out at every turn.
You can help introduce your friends and family to environmentally friendly living, too.
Give them a GREEN GIFT of organic personal care, 
or bath salts, 
or perhaps some
mustard bath. 
or a detox seaweed bath 
Henna hair coloring 
is a great way to lessen a loved one’s exposure to possible carcinogens in chemical dyes.
You can promote sustainability, independence and encourage environmentally friendly business in impoverished nations by purchasing fair trade gifts. 
Artisans worldwide produce crafts and are paid a fair wage. This also helps preserve ancient crafts which are rapidly disappearing as populations move to urban areas.
Another great way to introduce environmentally friendly living is to get a GIFT CERTIFICATE to start a friend sampling some environmentally responsible products. Often people are a bit hesitant to give up what they know, but once they try things, they find they are doing TWO things at once: saving the environment and being more environmentally responsible themselves!
This could be toward the purchase of a Sun-Mar composter 
or perhaps a rain barrel…, 
or even for a composting toilet 
or maybe for a portable solar powered battery charger, 
which is great for travellers!
We also have unusual 
art and 
gifts like original art 
by local Virginia artists.
There are many ways that you can spread the word about sustainable, green and helping the environment!
The Earth is talking back. She is trying to let us know we need to change our ways.
WATER USE must be one of them.
The water outlook for California and Nevada is a grim one, according to an article posted on Reuters today. With snow pack in the mountains decreasing due to climate change, consumers and farmers face the possibility of another year of shortages.
What does this mean for you? Higher food prices as supply drops.
California is one of the top food producers in the nation. Nevada, on the other hand, has experienced tremendous growth over then past 10 years and now has the nation’s highest water useage. We are in a water crisis in this country, but what can we do?
CONSERVE WATER in every aspect of your life. If you think that your water use doesn’t affect the entire Earth, think again! What you take from your tap or garden spigot has to come from somewhere. Unless you collect your own rain water, you’re drawing from the municipal supplies.
Especially if you live in an arid climate such as California, Nevada or other areas of the southwest, you absolutely should be doing whatever you can to conserve water.
COLLECT RAIN WATER - what a NOVEL idea! Our great grandparents did this. Grandma had her rain barrel and used this to wash clothes with. It was free water. Then the water was used to water the gardens with. The veggies grew better because the soap, a natural insecticide, kept bugs off.
You can do a lot to save water. Start by checking all your faucets, spigots and toilets. If they leak, fix them. One single leak can waste 200 or more gallons a day.
Use a rain barrel to collect water with. You can do a LOT with the water you collect: water your gardens, potted plants, hose off your deck, wash your car and not use any municipal water supplies doing it.
YOU CAN do your part in saving water easily and efficiently.
There are people in desert regions of this Earth who would give anything to have the amount of good drinking water that the average American flushes down the toilet every day.
Consider the numbers:
A typical 4-person household,
using a 3.5 gallon low-flush toilet
flushes 70 GALLONS per DAY
-or-
25,000 GALLONS a YEAR of drinkable water down the drain
An older 7 gallon toilet uses double that: 140 GALLONS per DAY -or- about 50,000 GALLONS per YEAR
Toilet waste is over 90% water content. Pathogens like nitrogen and potassium, which upset the normal Ph of the soil, add tremendous pollution to groundwater.
To date, SUN-MAR composting toilets have saved about 3.2 BILLION GALLONS of water (to January 08) with an additional saving of 6,103 gallons a minute!
Sun-Mar toilets are adaptable for any situation. Residential use, cabins, workshops, guest houses; even for RV and marine use. They’re the premier manufacturer of composting toilets. They’ve been making them for about 40 years now, the same family-owned company started Hardy Sundberg in the 70’s.
I’d think they know what they’re doing by now, wouldn’t you?
Environmentally speaking, Americans waste water - billions of gallons a year. The average family of 4 uses about 400 gallons a day; 70% of it being used inside the home.
Consider the following statistics on how much water is used by an American family:
Toilets: 27% Shower: 17% Faucets: 16% Washing Machine: 22% Leaks: 14% Other: 5%
27 percent of all household water is used in the bathroom. Installing a new toilet or a composting toilet can save a dramatic amount of water in one year. A leaky toilet can waste over 200 gallons every day.
Bathroom faucets run at about 2 gallons of water a minute. Shutting off the faucet while brushing your teeth saves about 200 gallons per month.
Not rinsing dishes before loading into a dishwashe saves over 10 gallons per load.
Washing machines can use up to 54 gallons of water per load, but recent energy efficient models use about 27 gallons.
Garbage disposals waste electricity and water. A typical disposal uses between 4 and 8 gallons of water a minute. Consider this the next time you go to use yours. A garden composter is the way to go and will provide you with free, nutrient rich soil for your garden and get rid of your food scraps at the same time.
You won’t be wasting water or electricity with a composting toilet or a composter.
Do you go to your local garden center and
BUY DIRT?
Why?
You can make your own compost very easily and save yourself a lot of money & won’t have to lug heavy bags by using a composter.
You have all the makings for good compost right there at home. Use grass from mowing your lawn, leaves from the fall, (which are even better if you’ve mulched them) branches and twigs cut from trees & shrubs. Add vegetable trimmings, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags and peels from the kitchen. Don’t forget those refrigerator experiments with the hair on them! The only exceptions that don’t go in are meat (including bones) and any dairy products. Everything else makes great compost! All you need to do is put it in a composter and the rest is done for you.
The breakdown of these materials turns into ‘brown gold’: light, fluffy and nutritious compost. Good nutrition is vital for your garden. It helps plants ward off pests and disease without using dangerous toxic chemicals and pesticides. Another benefit is you are getting FREE DIRT!
Sun-Mar has been making composters for about 30 years. They’ve used the proven technology from their best-selling composting toilets; a rotating drum. This ensures a good mixture and quick decomposition of organic materials.
Instead of using your garbage disposal, which wastes water and electricity, a composter is an earth-friendly, pest-free alternative. Outdoor rascals like dogs, cats, racoons, possums and skunks can’t get into the sealed drum.
Compost is easy to make. You’re half way there every time you make a meal. Why not start today?