If you take from something, give something back. Renew … restoration … these are concepts I feel we need to adopt as people start to adopt the green think. I was in the San Francisco international terminal last year on my way to Germany to meet Ken when something popped into my head "we take, but we do not give". It's like I kept repeating that to myself as I looked around the terminal and at the people.
Think about it -think about it in anyway that you are capable -think about it and then apply it to different scenarios. For instance, with the airport …there may be some level of recycling at the actual airport, but most airlines still do not recycle. It's egregious, almost ridiculous. So many of us use. For this example it's the companies using resources, the skies … they take the clean air, they take all the resources to give us disposable products, yet they don't give back socially by recycling, they don't give back to the Earth by not making these efforts either. They only take, they do not give. Now, think about yourself at the airport. We take (we consume whatever it is that we need while waiting for our planes) and most of us do not recycle either. I do, but most people still don't. And they also don't limit themselves to what they are consuming. Most people do not go into the airport thinking that they will limit their consumption once there so as not to be wasteful. No, most people don't even think about it at all. And so, once again, we take but do not give. And this comes from some sort of underlying want to have someone else deal with it. It's "their" place -(in this instance) "the airport should deal with it right"? So again, we take, and do not give. Truly, if we had any pride as a culture, we could all be better citizens by taking on some personal responsibility. Limiting our consumption of disposables, making sure we recycle, maybe speaking up and writing emails telling these companies we want change.
 |
 |
| * Finding little tiny pieces of plastic I needed to crouch down for | * So much plastic gets stuck and inter-mixed into natural debris -took me awhile to sort all of this |
Another example … the beach … We take, and we do not give. If you are someone that goes to the beach and yet you don't support any of the organizations that are trying to maintain the beach and the oceans, then you take more than you give. Hopefully, you take back everything you bring to the beach. At least that's something
I think we can all do a little more. This summer if you go to the beach or a park, Pick Up Three. This was a cool campaign I saw posted in Santa Teresa the last time I was down in Costa Rica. I am committed to doing beach clean-ups every time I go down there. It actually gives me pleasure to take care of the land that we are on. We're right on the beach so I owe the beach tending not just exploiting for my own pleasure. I am always a little shocked with the beach going community and especially the surfers that do not give back. For instance, there is a surf school next to our property and it seems like all the students I have met so far are just completely oblivious. They are only down there to use the ocean and caring for it seems to be non-existent thought. I feel like the best technique is honestly to just show by example. People will take notice, for some, it will send a subconscious reminder -it might wake someone up and realize they can (not just should) do it to. Let this be a #GreenWave -Pick up Three!
 |
 |
| * My mom collects wine corks, I collect bottle caps for a project I am in the works of | * Recyclables I will take home b/c they don't recycle those items in Costa Rica |
When I am down there Ken and I always "Pick up Three" (at minimum) on our way back from a surf session. I never told Ken to do it, or to start doing it, or that he should. I've always done it, and he one day told me that he had decided he would too. Honestly that is the best way to get people on board is for them to feel personally inspired to do it themselves. It helps to hang out with people that are doing things you want to do. With me, I want to live a more vegan lifestyle but I know I'm not vegan and I have yet to feel overwhelmingly personally inspired to not eat seafood. Seafood is my weakness although with the problems ahead of us of dwindling of certain fish species and the onslaught of industrial fish farming that is coming up … I eat less. I have decided to boycott Katsuya's recently upon finding out the owner is consciously willing to serve certain fish species, such as Tuna and Yellowfin, to the point of extinction.
 |
 |
| * "Art" I made from the clean-up | * Some of my plastic treasures |
I want to constantly inspire people but I am not the type of person that will just give you all the good. I will tell you how it is and then provide you hope by building up the confidence that YOU CAN make a difference. We all can. So if you get a chance, start looking at everything that you do in your life. What is it that you are taking, and how can you give back. If you would like assistance you may contact me via Twitter @GreenGeisha or let's start the thread #GreenWave –I want to make waves of changes but I can only do it by inspiring you and then having you inspire others.
 |
 |
* I had some pretty full bags. The bag tells you why I do what I do  |
* If you love something, show it. |
Learn more about Janine at Green Wave Enterprises
See your business here, click to learn more.
Stumble Upon
Del.icio.us
Buzz
