[EcoDharma] ECO-Life

[Meitou]

Hello friends, In light of the global climate crisis, I'm looking at ways to educate myself about my effect on the environment and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. I feel this fits well with the concept of the Noble Eightfold Path, specifically Right Intention, Right Livelihood, and Right Mindfulness. I'd like to swap ideas, links and stories with other Treeleafers and perhaps what we can do as a group to support each other. This is quite a new venture for me so I'm still exploring initiatives and websites.

There is so much I am ignorant of; for example I had no idea how much damage to the environment the Fashion Industry is guilty of. To that end, at the end of this month I shall be taking a pledge with Extinction Rebellion's Fashion protest not to buy any new clothes or fabrics for a year but if something becomes a genuine need, then to buy from a sustainable source. Instead I'll be looking at taking care of the clothes I have, sewing, mending and repurposing. This is going to be quite a challenge for me - I don't buy a lot of clothes but I realised, because I buy cheap, that I have become used to thinking of them as quite disposable.

Amongst other things I'm going to be looking at products like shampoo and shower gels that contain microplastics, and also trying out some home made cleaning products made from natural ingredients.

The situation we are facing is global and enormous, it can seem overwhelming but any small thing we can do individually can contribute to the greater effort.

I hope some of you (many!all!) will contribute your knowledge and experience to this thread. Please feel free to post anything relevant, and to bring up anything that is Sustainable Living related for discussion.

Gassho
Meitou
sattoday/lah

[Tai Do]

Hi Meitou,
I support this initiative of yours. I'm very concerned about the environment and the health of our planet and its human and nonhuman inhabitants.
I don't know if this qualifies as a contribution, as it is more a question.
There are some things that are bothering me about my town (a lot, actually). The main is the absolute lack of a recycle program. There is no separation of garbage. I tried to separate my garbage, but it was simply mixed again when picked up. The town administration doesn’t respond to the e-mails we make and when talked to people, they said that there was a recycling program, but as nobody used, the town simply shut it down.
What should I do? Should I continue to separate my garbage? Should I give up? How can get rid of the plastic bags that are always given to us in every commercial establishment in my town?
Thank you, Meitou, and sorry if the your first response in this thread was a question rather than a suggestion. But I thought if belonged here.
Gassho,
Mateus
Sat today

[Meitou]

Hi Meitou,
I support this initiative of yours. I'm very concerned about the environment and the health of our planet and its human and nonhuman inhabitants.
I don't know if this qualifies as a contribution, as it is more a question.
There are some things that are bothering me about my town (a lot, actually). The main is the absolute lack of a recycle program. There is no separation of garbage. I tried to separate my garbage, but it was simply mixed again when picked up. The town administration doesn’t respond to the e-mails we make and when talked to people, they said that there was a recycling program, but as nobody used, the town simply shut it down.
What should I do? Should I continue to separate my garbage? Should I give up? How can get rid of the plastic bags that are always given to us in every commercial establishment in my town?
Thank you, Meitou, and sorry if the your first response in this thread was a question rather than a suggestion. But I thought if belonged here.
Gassho,
Mateus
Sat today

Thanks for responding Mateus, questions are fine, and I hope there are other answers than mine, as I know very little! However, I do know a little bit about recycling because my town introduced quite a rigorous recycling programme last year. I really understand your frustration with your town council, what an awful attitude, they should have enforced it - here we get a warning slapped on our bins if we break the rules, and we can also incur extra charges on our bills.
Do you think there's any point in recycling your refuse if it all gets thrown into the same containers at the end of the day? Perhaps if there are enough of you continuing to do it, , it may prove a point. It might be better to see how you can actually reduce what refuse you have and whether you can repurpose it at home. In Italy all supermarkets must by law charge for 'plastic' bags, and the bags must be 100% organic and biodegradable, no single use bags. THey aren't strong, so many of us have gotten used to taking a reusable shopping bag or shopping trolley with us when we go. Perhaps you could do that, and refuse the bags that are offered, reusing the ones you already have. Actually if you have a look on You Tube, you will probably find some videos on how to upcycle plastic bags and find different uses for them. The same goes for tin cans, paper and plastic water bottles, but my feeling is first of all look at what refuse you produce and think of ways to reduce that. And keep up the pressure on your town admin.

I hope this helps a bit, and that others have some suggestions too, particularly folk who live in areas where recycling isn't established.

Gassho
Meitou
sattodaylah

[Tairin]

Great initiative Meitou. I’ve been thinking about this and have taken steps over the years to limit my impact on the environment. I feel there is a lot more I can do so it will be interesting to read what comes up here. Here’s some thoughts based on what we try to do here at home.

- You can do a lot by reducing your meat consumption. You don’t have to go completely meatless but even just two or three meatless days can have an impact.
- Use transit, walk, or bike rather than drive when possible
- Compost as much of your food waste as you can.
- Help to maintain healthy green spaces
- Grow your own food
- Reduce use of plastics and packaging
- Limit mindless consumption and consumerism

I am less certain about recycling programs. It seems here in Canada at least a lot of material intended for recycling ends up just going to the dump. Better to not create the waste to begin with.

All of it can sometimes feel like small drops in s massive bucket but I continue to hope that enough drops will eventually fill that bucket.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Shoka]

Hi Meitou,
I support this initiative of yours. I'm very concerned about the environment and the health of our planet and its human and nonhuman inhabitants.
I don't know if this qualifies as a contribution, as it is more a question.
There are some things that are bothering me about my town (a lot, actually). The main is the absolute lack of a recycle program. There is no separation of garbage. I tried to separate my garbage, but it was simply mixed again when picked up. The town administration doesn’t respond to the e-mails we make and when talked to people, they said that there was a recycling program, but as nobody used, the town simply shut it down.
What should I do? Should I continue to separate my garbage? Should I give up? How can get rid of the plastic bags that are always given to us in every commercial establishment in my town?
Thank you, Meitou, and sorry if the your first response in this thread was a question rather than a suggestion. But I thought if belonged here.
Gassho,
Mateus
Sat today

Mateus,

Recycling is actually a really interesting topic currently in Los Angeles. The majority of recyclables from the United States have been shipped to China to be recycled. Recently, China has decided that they won't be importing recyclables as much anymore. So where is all the stuff we have gotten so good at recycling going.... straight to the landfill. We as a nation don't actually have the ability to recycle the majority of our recyclables goods.

I would suspect the same problem is tied to why your city doesn't want to have a recycling program. If you can't get enough people to produce enough recyclables to sell and ship somewhere to that will purchase them, then what do you do with the recycles?

Here is an article about the problem:

https://www.ocregister.com/2019/05/17/your-recyclables-are-going-to-the-dump-heres-why/

For years I lived in an apartment complex that didn't have recycling, so we worked to reduce the amount of items we brought into the house that would end up in the trash. Regarding the bags, Los Angeles has actually passed a bill banning stores from giving out plastic bags. You have to actually purchase them if you want a bag which is a good thing as many people have been driven to start carrying reusable bags.

It's often tough depending on where you live and the culture because it might really odd to hand them your own bag. I remember being in Japan and it wasn't a big deal, but going home to Kansas it was very strange for me to decline the plastic bag and use my own. But I know people who have been doing it for decades, long before it was the norm.

In short, perhaps focus on the "reduce" and "reuse" portions of the 3 R's since recycling at the moment isn't an option. I'm sure if you search youtube there are a million different things you can do with the items you are throwing out. (I sear I saw a video of women makes sleeping mats for the homeless our of plastic grocery bags.)

Gassho,

Shoka
sattoday

[Jakuden]

Awesome Meitou! There is so much more we all can do, thanks for the thread with ideas. My associate is super-environmentally conscious and has helped us all try harder at the hospital to recycle more and waste less. At home, besides recycling, having our own chickens for eggs (and someday hopefully a garden again!) and driving a hybrid vehicle, I’m sure we could become a lot more conscious of many things. I’m glad to learn about what others are doing.
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH


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[Shonin Risa Bear]

There's an amazing little book, Hojoki by Chomei, who lived in the Kamakura era, when wars and many disasters were occurring in Kyoto. Having fallen out of favor at court, he moved into smaller and smaller houses and at last, taking Buddhist orders, settled into a ten-by-ten foot hut of his own design, so made that it could be disassembled and moved by two ox-carts to a new location. I think his carbon footprint was very small. http://jinenkanhonbu.blogspot.com/20...nd-hojoki.html

gassho _()_
doyu sat today and lent a hand

[Jundo]

I just want to say that this is a lovely, vital, important initiative that Meitou has inspired here. Thank you. I hope we all join in.

I also want to say that, just because the names are similar, please know that we also have another "SIMPLE living" group that will be starting very soon based on the book by that name. SUSTAINABLE living and SIMPLE living overlap, of course, and yet ... not one not two ...

"Simple Living" Practice Circle
A group to Practice weekly tasks from "The Art of Simple Living: 100 Daily Practices from a Japanese Zen Monk for a Lifetime of Calm and Joy" by Soto Zen Priest Shunmyo Masuno

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/foru...ractice-Circle

I will probably get the "Simple Living" group open in a week or two.

Gassho, Jundo

SatTodayLAH

[Junkyo]

Hi Meitou!

I am very excited to see where this conversation goes. It is quite timely as here in Canada our Prime Minister just announced that they are aiming to ban single use plastic products by 2021. They are currently working out what products will be on the ban list. The conversation here in Canada has brought up that a number of industries (such as the medical industry) rely on single use plastic products (such as IV bags). I will be watching these developments closely.

In our house we do our best to recycle and recently we have begun to move toward using reusable containers instead of products like plastic wrap or sandwich bags. We are also watching our electricity usage much more closely and are striving to drive less (Canada is huge and we drive large distances out of necessity) by walking or biking when we just need to get around town. We are trying to only drive when travelling out of town or if the weather is poor.

My wife and I both come from farming families and used to have a meat heavy diet (I grew up raising cattle, my wife grew up raising pigs). We now eat a diet that is mostly plant based, however we still have 2-3 meals a week that contain meat.

I am always excited to hear new ideas on how to live in more sustainable ways! Thank you for starting this discussion!

Gassho,

Junkyo

[Doshin]

Meitou,

Your post and all those that followed were a good read and a positive way to start my day. Thanks to all of you for what you do. Wonderful.

Meitou as you know from my Face Book posts I focus on nature and conservation. My purpose with Face Book is to share the beauty and wonder of nature to hopefully to build greater apprciation in those who follow me. I have a plan, I am marketing biodiversity sustainability. Occassionally I insert a post that addresses a topic of conservation or biodiversity loss to inform. I even suggest support for legislation or other things to move that sustainablility for biodiversity forward. Now you know my purpose I know you commented on the recent posts about my native yard and its benefit to wildlife. I inteneded to set an example for others to possibly consider for their own space. So I see this thread as doing that for our Sangha. Thankyou!!

Several communities here in New Mexico have banned the use of plastic bags. Santa Fe is one of them. You are encouraged to bring your own reusable bag to the store by having to pay a fee for a paper bag if you forget. Another community across the mountain from me has also banned plastic bags. I hope this trend continues.

A fun thing I want to share. My wife takes our song bird seed bags and chicken feed bags (both with pretty pictures) and converts them into tote bags that she gives away as gifts. Not only is she reusing a bag but providing others the opportunity to use fewer bags at the store. And like those above we practice the 3Rs...Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Little goes to waste here on the ranch. We also have a hybrid vehcile that we try to use the most (and I have greatly reduced the use of my Pick Up Truck which is good for this American Country Boy!!!!) and a home that is solared powered with excess energy sold back to the power company.

Many small acts add up. So thanks to all of you. May we work together to further sustainability.

Jundo very much looking forward to the Simple Living group. Anna and I have got a little head start. We occassionaly read a chapter outloud and try to incorporate in our lives. And here is a good thing...Anna (my wonder wife who Jundo has met) has started sitting with me for 10 minutes in the evening. The other night I changed the Insight Timer to 12 minutes to give her extra zazen. When we were done she looked at me and said that was longer. I could not tell a lie.

Doshin
st (with my wife)

[Meitou]

I just want to say that this is a lovely, vital, important initiative that Meitou has inspired here. Thank you. I hope we all join in.

I also want to say that, just because the names are similar, please know that we also have another "SIMPLE living" group that will be starting very soon based on the book by that name. SUSTAINABLE living and SIMPLE living overlap, of course, and yet ... not one not two ...



I will probably get the "Simple Living" group open in a week or two.
Gassho, Jundo

SatTodayLAH

Jundo, if you think this might cause a bit of confusion, I can rename this thread to something like Living Sustainably, or similar? Let me know.

Thanks everyone for your comments, what a great response.
The whole business of recycling is has that worrying aspect that some of you have mentioned - what actually happens to our rubbish. Here our regulations are very stringent, our commune ( town administration) has spent a fortune getting this initiative under way, issuing every household with 4 bins, free bio bags and larger bags for plastic, a recycling booklet etc. And despite all that, having lived here nearly 20 years and seen how things work, I'm not entirely convinced about what happens to it all once it gets collected. I've visited the eco centre and it does seem organised, but still.. And then there's the business of where it goes when it leaves the country - as you say China has refuses to take any more, and I think India has just done the same. We've probably all seen the images of entire continents of plastic in our oceans and read about the terrible harm they are doing.
I agree that while it's really important to take advantage of recycling programmes, it's vital that we look to our own use of resources and see how we can cut back on ecologically harmful practices.

A good place to start is plastic - If you don't already, just spend one week separating out your plastic from your other refuse - checking also packaging that seems to be paper but isn't - you might be amazed by how much you accumulate. From that point you can start thinking about how to reduce it.

I've known a couple of people, when starting out on this road, to get all their plastic household items together, throw the lot out and go out and buy all new. In my opinion, this is actually adding to the problem.- by adding to the land and ocean fill, and by perpetuating endless consumerism. The great selling point of plastic in the past - and its most damaging feature - is its durability. If you already have plastic containers, then they should in theory last you several lifetimes! However they do get damaged and worn. If I buy anything that comes in a glass jar, like jams, olives, pickled goods etc, I wash the jars and lids and save them to replace plastic containers that have gone past their best.
Shoka mentioned making sleeping mats for the homeless out of plastic bags - here's a video demonstration I found today ( there are lots more on YT). I've made a couple of tote bags using this method - they are washable and still going strong after at least five years.

Gassho
Meitou
sattodaylah

[Meian]

Yes, I've been focusing on reducing my waste and repurposing whenever possible. Trying to limit plastic most of all. I prefer vegetarian food already, but even sourcing is difficult.

Also, I would love to learn how to make the mats from bags. I know a local activist I could give them to. My synagogue also makes them as a social outreach project, but at a time i cannot attend. Maybe if i can find it on YouTube or similar i can post it here, since there is an interest.

Great ideas and great topic.

Gassho
Kim
St lh

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[Meitou]

Yes, I've been focusing on reducing my waste and repurposing whenever possible. Trying to limit plastic most of all. I prefer vegetarian food already, but even sourcing is difficult.

Also, I would love to learn how to make the mats from bags. I know a local activist I could give them to. My synagogue also makes them as a social outreach project, but at a time i cannot attend. Maybe if i can find it on YouTube or similar i can post it here, since there is an interest.
What are the problems regarding sourcing vegetarian food, maybe others here who are in the US can advise?
Gassho
Meitou
satlah

Great ideas and great topic.

Gassho
Kim
St lh

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KIm, the vid I posted shows you how to cut up the bags and make the 'yarn', then it can be used just like normal yarn, only that for crochet and knitting a bigger hook or needles is required. I saw something earlier about making the mats without crochet, I'll try to find it.

[Tai Do]

Thank you Meitou, Tairin, Shoka and everyone for your suggestions.
I think you are right that the focus I should take is not of waiting for a recycling program that can never came to be and should raise even more questions.
I will try to focus on reducing the amount of plastic I get. Today I refused a plastic bag from the farmer I buy organic vegetables and fruits; but I didn't have the option to refuse in the supermarket or the drug store. Perhaps I should get a box or container to bring with me when I buy things.
I'm very excited to apply this sustainable lifestyle to our home, as I really think it is essential for the Eightfold Path right livelihood in our times.
Thank you very much!
Gassho,
Mateus
Sat today/LAH

[Jundo]

Jundo, if you think this might cause a bit of confusion, I can rename this thread to something like Living Sustainably, or similar? Let me know.

Yes, even confuses me if I look quickly. How about "Eco-Living" or something like that?

Gassho, Jundo