Walking the Good Red Road: Learning to Walk Softly Upon the Earth

The natives of the Southwest call it "walking the good red road" or "walking softly upon the earth", which are both poetic ways to say that each person should live in a way as to have as little negative impact on their environment as is realistically possible.

Indeed, in today's contemporary society, each person is responsible for creating a huge mass of garbage, including: trash, human waste, toxic air and water pollutants. We all participate in the generation of tons of greenhouse gas pollution, created by the way we choose to generate electrical power.

Each man, woman and child in the United States generates over 1,600 pounds of garbage per year, which is enough to fill 68,000 Olympic sized swimming pools. In a lifetime, this piles up to over 90,000 pounds of trash per person, which will be either buried or incinerated, causing a new spate of environmental problems.

Our cars belch out thousands of pounds of particulates and our factories pump more than 2.5 billion pounds of lead compounds, chromium, ammonia and other toxic solvents directly into our air and water supplies.

But it needn't be this way.

Every day we, as consumers, make thousands of decisions and choices that effect the health of this closed-environmental system that we call the Earth. And every night, I have a wonderful recurring dream of an unpolluted world, safe from environmental disaster and ripe to provide clean air, water and food for generations to come.

In this dream, I rise to find the coffee maker perking away, as I flip on the solar lights in my kitchen and make my breakfast in the comfort of a home run entirely by clean, green, solar power!

I see myself using all the modern appliances that I use now; TVs VCRs, computers, lights, refrigerator and microwave. Only instead of using electricity that is generated with coal or hydroelectricity, I'm using the renewable and completely healthy energy of the sun.

After breakfast I'd jump in my E.V. (electric vehicle, which is 100 percent emissions-free) and drive to work, where all the power to run the office would come from alternative energy sources. Not only would our energy come from clean sources, our product would also be produced without smog, off-gases, particulates, by-products or toxins.

Our stringent recycling policy of all the waste materials generated during the course of business would save us money. In other words, instead of throwing away the cardboard boxes, computer paper, packing materials, cans, bottles, plastic, Styrofoam and glass, it would all be sold for scrap, recycled or reused.

The office supplies we'd purchase would contain at least 50 percent post-consumer materials, using recycled paper, envelopes, ink cartridges, etc. Even our cleaning supplies would be made from earth-safe ingredients, using brands which can be found in local markets and mail order catalogs.

After work, I drive home and plug my car into the electric charger for the night. As I make dinner, I compost the salad scraps and fruit peelings into the kitchen garden, knowing this not only improves the soil, but that I'll get what I call "volunteers"; potatoes, onions and other vegetables sprouting right outside the kitchen door.

But, I'm dreaming you say?

Actually, this is how my family lives. Except for the E.V., it is not a dream, and it is not difficult or costly. It doesn't even take that much know-how.

However, must engage in what I call an "earth-friendly lifestyle".

This consists of choosing as many of these lifestyle practices as possible;

*choosing to recycle and creatively reuse materials;

*composting organic matter to improve soil content;

*buying earth-safe products (ones that do not have toxic chemicals);

*buying goods made with post-consumer (recycled) materials;

*generating clean, renewable electric power with any of the viable renewable energies now available;

*purchasing an electric vehicle (zero emissions transportation) or a hybrid-vehicle that greatly reduces emissions;

*using water reclamation, when possible; and/or

*choosing to live in an environmentally respectful home, like an "Earthship" or a straw bale home made entirely from recycled materials.

These practices can be applied to businesses as well, without loss of income. In fact, recycling and reusing materials creatively has been known to reduce the costs of running a business (less utility usage means lower bills.)

Businesses have a duty to ensure that the processes by which their product is made and packaged for shipment, are clean and green (meaning environmentally ethical.)

The bottom line is:

Do something, whatever you can, as much as you can, as soon as you can, and keep living that way!

Whether you are a home owner or business owner, a renter or a student, you owe it to the Earth, to your descendents, to yourself, and to others to live on the earth ethically.

If you choose to, get involved politically, and exercise your voice as a voter. You can receive free information and news updates on Senate Bills which affect the protection of the environment. When you write a letter to a political representative, it is recorded and therefore does have an impact.

Put your money where your mouth is and flex your power as a consumer! Choose to buy the (admittedly) more expensive products made from recycled and post-consumer materials.

Make the next car you buy an E.V. or hybrid gas-electric car.

Generate your own electric power with clean, renewable sources, like hybrid solar power or hybrid wind power, both of which are readily available and economical right now.

It isn't necessary to do 100 percent of all these things, but it is essential, in fact, crucial for each of us to start doing what we can.

The Earth is our spaceship, an exquisite gem floating in a huge celestial sea, with all the provisions we need on board.

Here we have an abundance of clean food, air and water, the three things essential for life.

We do not know for certain if this is the only planet that will support life, but it is the only one we can call home.