SPI : 09.20.21
A Song:
This is another song that’ll get in your head and refuse to let go. I don’t mind. Angus Stone is an Australian singer / songwriter that you could be forgiven for thinking is from the American West. I hope you enjoy!
A Picture
Photo credit: Lindsay Fichtler
This is the world’s oldest Larch tree. It can be found in the Seeley-Swan Valley in Northwestern Montana, and is estimated to be over 1,000 years old. Someone named it “Gus” which I refuse to acknowledge as this tree’s name. It’s 163 feet tall, and has a circumference at the base of nearly 23 feet. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, take a minute to visit.
Some Inspiration:
Today’s inspo is all related to reducing your environmental impact. There are steps we can all take that are so easy, often even easier than what you’re doing now, that will really matter. I hope this doesn’t come across as preachy, but it’s really important.
Bamboo Toilet Paper & Paper Towels. Nearly 10 million trees are cut down each year to make toilet paper (~27,000 per day). These trees are predominantly from old growth Boreal forests. This is utterly insane, and has to stop. There are solutions like hemp and bamboo paper that are orders of magnitude better for the environment and just as functional. We recently switched to Reel bamboo paper products instead, but there are a handful of good options. The important thing is to make the switch. Reel was my choice because they use no dyes, fragrances, or plastic, and ship the product to us monthly.
https://reelpaper.com/
Stop drinking out of plastic bottles. At the risk of sounding preachy, I’m asking you to consider stopping drinking out of plastic bottles. Here’s the skinny: plastic never biodegrades - it photo-degrades into smaller and smaller particles of plastic, much of which ends up in the ocean. That means that all the plastic that’s ever been made still exists. Now, think about that in the context of how many beverages you’ve had out of plastic bottles. Drinking water out of a plastic bottle was recently measured to be 3,500 times worse for the environment than drinking tap water. In 2018, I drew a line in the sand and said no more plastic bottles for me, ever. I’d like to challenge you to do the same. Get a reusable water bottle, choose something in a can (aluminum is very easy to recycle), or go without.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. The impact to the environment from the production of food is staggering. It’s worth thinking about how you source what you put in your body, and the journey it took to get to you. This book is a few years old, but it’s more relevant now than ever. Short story: there are farms and ranches that are raising food the right way, and then there’s industrial agriculture. Support the former, avoid the latter. You’ll probably be uncomfortable while reading this, but it’s too important to ignore, and I’ve recommended it to so many people. Michael Pollan is an excellent author who’s got a talent for weaving compelling narratives. It also ends on a hopeful note. Buy it from your local bookstore if possible, or listen/read on Overdrive/Libby apps for free with a library card.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6114536-the-omnivore-s-dilemma
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