Monday, October 27, 2008

Guns & Common Sense.

by Teresa

Let me be clear: No, I do not believe all guns should be illegal.  Yes, I steadfastly support people’s right to own guns, and to hunt animals for the purpose of feeding their families, or even just for sport (PETA probably hates me).
However, there needs to be some level of common sense applied to the rules about the types of guns that people can own… and to what sort of activities are allowed at gun shows, and to the age at which children are allowed to participate in those activities.
There is no argument in the world that can convince me that average Americans need the “right” to own Uzis.  Or that people need Uzis to hunt.  Or that they ought to be sold at gun shows.  Or that children should be allowed to fire Uzis at gun shows (the NRA probably hates me as much as PETA does). 

So.  Why am I risking the wrath of the NRA?
Because this story saddened me so much that I couldn’t stay silent. 
From the Associated Press today, a story about a gun show in Westfield, Massachusetts (quoting here):
“An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair…  The boy was with a certified instructor and ‘was shooting the weapon down range when the force of the weapon made it travel up and back toward his head, where he suffered the injury,‘ a police statement said. Police called it a ‘self-inflicted accidental shooting.‘“
Here’s a link to the full article from the Associated Press.

I will only say two more things: first, I offer my condolences to the family of that little boy who died so tragically, so needlessly.

And secondly: there’s no such thing as being “too careful” where guns are concerned.  Even when safety measures are followed (as they were, by all accounts, in this case), gun accidents happen. I’m not telling anyone what to decide, but I do hope anyone planning a family trip to a gun show in the near future will read this article, and think about this little boy’s death, and thoughtfully consider the risks. 

Greenspiration

by Teresa

I can’t remember where I read it, but there was a little blurb, not a full article, just a single sentence, in the corner of a page of a magazine.  It said a recent survey showed that college students are pretty “green”—mindful of the environment, consistent with recycling, etc.—but can you guess which group is even “greener?“  Moms.
Since I can’t remember the source, Google hasn’t been able to help me find out more.  So I don’t know if the survey had any questions about WHY moms are so “green.“  If I had to guess, I would say it probably has something to do with us wanting to make the world a better place for our kids.

I think I may have mentioned this before, in this blog space, but at my house, we DO try to do what we can to be mindful of our consumption and of recycling.  I long ago switched to making coffee at home in the morning, partly because it’s cheaper than hitting the drive-through of the big coffee-and-donut chain each day on the way to work, but ALSO because I felt guilty about the sheer number of styrofoam cups I was throwing in the trash. 
And we recycle everything we can. 
I’ve also recently started shopping with those re-usable bags instead of plastic bags.  (Though I will admit there are certain things at the grocery store—meat & chicken, for example—that I still put in plastic bags, every time.) 
And, we switched this year to re-usable water bottles in the kids’ school lunches instead of the disposable kind. 
I think I probably fall somewhere in the middle in the spectrum of “Green” Americans.  I care enough to make an effort, but I readily admit I COULD be doing more. 
There are a lot of people out there who are really going to extremes to live sustainable lifestyles.  Their stories have been my “greenspiration” for some of the smaller, less dramatic things I do.
Here’s one example:  this guy, David Chameides, has pledged to NOT take out his trash for an entire year, in an effort to illustrate how much trash one person generates in 365 days.  He keeps it all in his basement after recycling and reusing everything he can.  Each day he tallies up what’s left over.  Check out his blog, “365daysoftrash”; it’s really interesting.  Or, just read this New York Times article, which profiles Mr. Chameides and a few other people with similar “green” goals.  After reading his blog, I decided to adopt one of his tips: I’m now keeping a set of reusable silverware in my backpack and my car, so that I don’t have to take disposable plastic knives, forks, and spoons, when I get food “to go” or fast food during the week. I know it’s a small thing, but little things DO add up, over time.
I’ve been “greenspired” by some other websites recently, and I’ll write about some of them soon.  Today’s post is already long enough!
However, I’d be remiss if I wrote about this topic without pointing you all toward NBC 10’s own “Green” blog: “It’s Your World: Welcome to It” by environmentalist Chip Young.  He has some great “green” information there, specific to Rhode Island.  Check it out, if you haven’t already seen it!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Everything Old is New Again.

by Kelly

A while back, I found an article about how everyday people can green-up their lives. It was so long ago that I forgot to copy it for the purpose of this blog.

This article endorsed a website called www.freecycle.com.   Through this website, you can get rid of things that would otherwise fill up landfills, or you could pick up things that are of no use to someone else, that you may need. I was intrigued and set up an account so I could give you all a report on the process. Did I mention that all items are FREE!!

Note: This site is run through Yahoo.com and you have to register for Yahoo to use the site. You must register with the Freecycle community closest to your geographic location. Items you post are to be given away for free, just as items wanted are also for free.

Through Freecycle, I successfully found homes for a washing machine, large toys my kids outgrew, and a dresser. The moderators were great at guiding me through the posting process. It was a great alternative to calling for large item pick up from my town. I felt good about not contributing to the trash pile with my stuff. There are a couple of things you do need to know once you begin to use the site – more annoyances than anything else. Every time someone posts a wanted or offered item, you get an email notice. You are also notified when an item is taken. Typically I’ll get 4-10 email notices per day. On rare occasions, I’ve gotten up to 20 in one day. If you don’t mind your inbox filling up, I guess it’s not a huge deal. I am a compulsive deleter so it makes me a little crazy sometimes.  Also, the wanted items became super repetitive – lots of folks looking for travel vouchers to Disney theme parks and free baby formula coupons. I’m not sure these things help as much in terms of reducing landfill – after all, coupons can be recycled or donated to area women’s shelters. For all of my items offered, people committed and didn’t show up to pick up the item. In the case of the washer, it went to the fifth person who responded to my listing. A healthy dose of patience is needed in these cases. The other items were picked up within a day of posting. 

It’s much like an online flea market. You have to move fast if you think you may want something offered, and pictures of the items help. It can also save you huge amounts of money. If you need something, ask for it, and you may get it for free. If you’re not fussy and don’t mind gently used things, this is really the way to go.

Bottom line: if you have something that isn’t broken and you simply want it gone, post it and help the planet! Your trash really could be someone else’s treasure!