Infinite RE

RESOLUTION, Happy Sustainable New Year

res·o·lu·tion
to resolve or to determine to take action ... to save the planet

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Making new year's resolutions (and likely breaking them) has been around for a very long time -- purportedly to the time of the Babylonians. 

If I were actually to have recorded my past new year's resolutions, the themes from year to year would probably not have changed much -- lose weight, get in better shape, improve my financial situation, help others, etc.

This year, I'm taking some of my top personal resolutions and reinventing them for making change to save the planet.

Barb's Resolutions for a Sustainable New Year

Lose weight to improve the planet's health

• Consume less, be purposeful in making purchases
• Clean house, recycle and donate everything possible
• Exercise the brain and think about how whatever I do impacts the planet and choose according to my core values of sustainability for our planet
• Buy local and "lose the weight" of transportation costs to the planet
• Work towards a more vegan diet
• Lose actual weight -- less demand on food production and transportation costs

Quit Smoking* up the atmosphere

• Drive less, fly less, use public transportation when possible
• If/when car needs to be replaced, check the feasibility of a plug-in hybrid vehicle
• Be supportive of anti-pollution measures or incentives
• Switch to alternative, non-polluting energies

    * This was an actual new year's resolution I made and kept 20 years ago.  And it's one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

Get out of debt I owe to the planet

• Work towards becoming carbon neutral
• Plant a tree (or a hundred)
• Start a business that is eco-friendly, sustainable, and can make change to save the planet

Learn something new

• Learn about alternatives to fossil fuels:  wind, solar, hydro, geothermal energies
• Figure out how to capture a renewable resource for myself
• Try using more reclaimed or reusable materials in my art projects

Help others to save the planet

• Volunteer at organizations and events who act in a way that makes change to save the planet
• Support those organizations financially when I can
• Share knowledge and ideas about saving the planet

Enjoy life more ... and do so in a way that aligns with my values

RESCUE, From A to Z

res·cue
to free or save from danger, confinement, evil  ... or the landfill

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"Rescue" sounds so much more noble than dumpster diving, don't you think? 

Going to the dump with my dad was always an adventure when I was little.  Among the bed springs, mattresses and tires, there was always some treasure he found that he could use to build or repair something in the cabin.  The things people threw away... and that was, um, a long, LONG time ago.

Perhaps those early treasure hunts at the dump fueled my penchant for dumpster diving rescuing things otherwise destined for the landfill.

This Columbia Encyclopedia is in pristine condition, and the inside flap sports a price tag of $125.  Nearly 3,200 onion-skin thin pages cover entries from "A" (the first letter of the alphabet) to "Zyuganov, Gennody" (a Russian politician).  It was resting comfortably among a variety of binders, three large dictionaries and a few almanacs. 

The dumpster, an open cardboard box the size of a hotel laundry hamper, was overflowing.  And it was one of several on 9th floor that day.  The company periodically has office clean-out days where anything an employee doesn't need or want gets carted away... to you-know-where.

I rescued what I could carry.  It wasn't enough, but it was something.  I offered the books to the Friends of the Library for their annual sale.  They were happy to REuse and REcirculate these books, so they could be REread for the few dollars they raised.

Barb's Ideas

• Donate books to second had book stores, organizations for fund raising
• Hard cover books can be recycled in many places
• Offer to collect unwanted books (used binders, office supplies, etc.) for your own company's clean-out day
• Start a clean-out, reuse business that collects unwanted, reusable materials from offices in your area; resell supplies as having been rescued