| We live in a throw-away society. We're wasteful. | | | | is even more important. Setting the right example |
| Not just on an individual level, but on a global scale | | | | becomes paramount in teaching the next |
| as well. Our lifestyle is not sustainable in terms of | | | | generation that it is not necessary to have the |
| the world's resources we consume. The subject | | | | newest, most recent model of everything! Teach |
| of unnecessary waste in our society came | | | | them that happiness does not come from a |
| sharply into focus for my wife and me over the | | | | store! We don't expose ourselves to the |
| last couple of years due to numerous trips to | | | | onslaught of commercial messages. We rarely |
| take garbage to the county dump. When we | | | | watch TV, we listen to public (commercial-free) |
| were renovating our cabin we regularly took | | | | radio, and have a limited number of subscriptions |
| construction scrap to the dump (along with our | | | | to magazines that come to the house. |
| wet garbage). We began to notice a considerable | | | | Consequently we are blissfully unaware of so |
| number of perfectly good items that had been | | | | much of the product marketing and thus are not |
| thrown out. After seeing this for some time (and | | | | even tempted to rush out to buy this or that |
| rescuing numerous perfectly good items along the | | | | "must have" gizmo. We don't have a TV at our |
| way), we started to ask, | | | | country lodge, so when the grandchildren visit, |
| "What can we do about it?" | | | | they are not even tempted to watch... it just isn't |
| We started changing our lifestyle to reduce, | | | | part of the "lodge experience". |
| reuse, and recycle. Although we may think we | | | | Take a critical look |
| can't make a difference individually, small steps | | | | What are you throwing away? Get in the habit of |
| taken on an individual level can and do make a | | | | looking critically at all of your household waste. Is |
| difference. We must each do our own small part | | | | it really garbage? Can it be used by someone |
| to minimize the waste and excess consumption in | | | | else? Can you compost your wet garbage? Are |
| our society. Change is possible... indeed, it's | | | | you recycling everything that is possible to |
| absolutely necessary. | | | | recycle? We have two or three charities that call |
| One of the most challenging aspects of taking | | | | us regularly to ask if we have any donations they |
| steps in this direction is the constant | | | | can pick up. Some of them let us know we can |
| bombardment from the media... the non-stop | | | | call them any time for an additional pickup of |
| stream of powerful advertising attempting to | | | | clothing and household items. Check for charities |
| convince us that we need the latest and greatest | | | | that offer this service in your area. Taking this |
| gadgets, toys, electronics, cars, and on and on. | | | | simple step would see items such as stuffed toys |
| It's a powerful and extremely effective influence. | | | | (we've seen full boxes of perfectly good ones at |
| And it seems that, unfortunately, a lot of people | | | | the dump - some brand new with the tags still |
| are too lazy and/or simply don't think about the | | | | on), other toys, bikes, folding chairs, lamps, tables, |
| fact that something that they are throwing away | | | | furniture, and much more, put to good use. |
| could be used and appreciated by someone else. | | | | Episode one of the "Fitzgerald" series highlights |
| Nor do they think about the landfill being taken up | | | | many of the items that we rescued from the |
| by perfectly good and useful items. | | | | dump. Other episodes show many perfectly good |
| Our dump experience spawned the idea of a | | | | items that had been thrown away, but which we |
| series of short video vignettes that would highlight | | | | personally didn't take. |
| this sad situation. Although the topic is serious, we | | | | Challenge each other |
| wanted to have a little fun with it in order to | | | | Families can get together and set up challenges to |
| highlight the number of perfectly good items that | | | | minimize waste. At the office, organize a waste |
| were being thrown into the dump every week. | | | | awareness day. Get your boss involved... or if you |
| Thus was born "Adventures with Fitzgerald the | | | | are the boss, you set the tone. Even |
| Dump Truck". The episodes can be seen on the | | | | neighborhoods can activate to increase |
| home page. | | | | awareness. These are just a few suggestions to |
| What can you do? | | | | start the creative juices flowing. Each one of us |
| Are you concerned about unnecessary | | | | must start taking individual responsibility to reduce |
| consumerism and the corresponding waste? If so | | | | the resource footprint on our fragile planet. |
| consider taking some of the following steps: | | | | Reducing our personal waste by limiting |
| Turn off | | | | thoughtless consumerism, and through reuse and |
| Break free of commercials by limiting your | | | | recycling are important actions we can all take. |
| exposure to them... and if you have children, this | | | | |