California Coastal Commission

I went to a training by the California Coastal Commission the other day. It was held for educators, and since reCREATE has an environmental message, they welcomed my attendance.
As a scuba diver, I know there are many issues going on in our oceans. But the one thing they said that stood out was this:
Pieces of plastic outnumber plankton 6 to 1 in the Pacific Ocean. Plastic doesn't bio-degrade. It breaks down into smaller pieces and then birds, fish and other sea life mistake it for food and eat it. It is not only poisoning them (think twice before ording that seafood.), it also is doing so weird stuff hormonally to the fish.

Here is a clip of a video from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation that shows more about this problem. As I live inland, I asked if the lessons showed how we contribute to that problem...
streams, rivers eventually flow to the ocean. I am also currently reading Jacques Cousteau's Book The Human the Orchid and the Octopus. I grew up watching this amazing man on television, reading his recount of the decline of the oceans' bounty is heart wrenching.

So what can we do? I'm trying to buy in bulk - less plastic. Taking my own shopping bags, and I still find it irritating how much plastic is around us. Every piece of plastic that was every made is still here. Oh... and I'm touring the landfill this week to better understand how they process our recyclables and trash.

Here are a couple more links if you want to learn more:

Our Oceans Are Turning Into Plastic, Are We?

Algalita Marine Research Foundation

Bottled Water... What's the Big Deal?

I had the opportunity to join a class of second graders learn about the environment this week. One of the things they talked about was bottled water. When asked what plastic was made of - they couldn't answer... and naively I thought "old recycled plastic" - which in a very small part is true... but bottled water comes in plastic bottles made from crude oil. In fact, according to the Earth Policy Institute, "Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel more than 1 million U.S. cars for a year.* Worldwide, some 2.7 million tons of plastic are used to bottle water each year".

So you might say - Well I recycle my bottles... no big deal right?
or
I'm getting cleaner, healthier water - but there are no regulations to make bottled watter any purer than tap water.

Even if you recycle your bottle - if you leave the lid on the bottle it may not be recycled. If it gets to be recycled, it takes water to clean the plastic, the energy to ship it to a place for recycling, the process of recycling, and production of a new bottle. If you don't recycle that bottle, there it will sit in a local landfill, for up to 1000 years before it breaks down. So... grab a glass and pour yourself a big glass of tap water, and pat yourself on the back for getting perfectly good tap water, saving money, and doing your small part to make your live a little greener.

Want to learn more? Here are some other good links:

Fast Company - Message in a Bottle

Reasons to Ditch Water Bottles

(Photo by Ooodit is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution)

What is this all about?

This blog is a journey of a mom and her family to do their part to live a little greener. The more I learn about the environment, waste management, sustainable living and green choices... the more I am cringing over choices I have made in the past. Yep, I've changed the lightbulbs, and I drive a hybrid. We could argue we are doing our part... only there is so much more to do. My goal is that week by week we take a look at one or two daily routines, and think about a more earth friendly way to get it done. Along my journey you will hear about the non-profit I am establishing
www.recreate.org, and why. It's all very simple really... I want my kids to live in a world that isn't choking on it's actions... AND I believe there has to be a way that a typical mom like me can make a difference - I have to - for my kids.