Holy Frustration

Does reading about the environment and poor people just make you feel guilty? What if we are guilty? The fact is if you live in America you are guilty to some extent. Some more than others. As consumers we don't always recognize how our purchases effect someone in a third world nation. It is often lack of education. To often we choose to be ignorant because it's to painful and to hard to face the fact that our choices have impact on others.
No longer is the leisurely Sunday drive something you can do without thinking about the energy that is wasted and the pollution that is generated by that drive.
It is frustrating for even the most ardent environmentalist like myself. At times I just want to buy some bananas, but I know about the deforestation in the rain forest
and the mob like business practices that Chiquita has going on. So I pay an extra .50 cents and buy organic Turbana bananas. My studies have led me to be educated about deforestation in Canada. So now I won't buy any paper products from Canada. Once or twice a month we purchase recycled paper products to reduce our consumption of the forest.
My youngest son has Asperger's syndrome a mild form of Autism. He also has mild Tourette's syndrome and is severely dyslexic. He is about 3 years behind in his reading and writing. The latest study indicates that the pesticides and herbicides a women ingest while she is pregnant may contribute to this. Did I unwillingly take in those things that caused this child to have these problems? Now my family eats local, organic and hormone free as much as possible. We don't use pesticide or herbicide in our yard. Once you educate yourself there are alternatives and the cost in the long run will save us all a lot of money on medical care and hearth ache to the health and well being of our loved ones.

1. Do not purchase anything from Chiquita. For more information search NPR's website.
2. Avoid paper products from Canada.
3. Be an activist. Stop and talk to your grocer, you never know they may actually care more than you think. This has been my experience on several occasions.
4. Pour vinegar on your weeds, it works wonders.

Namaste'
Courtney