The first Earth Day in 1970 was also the day I enrolled at the Art Students League so this is a big anniversary for me.
In 1970 we knew the earth was in trouble but did we have any idea how dire things would be by now?
This painting by my neighbor, Stephen Hall, is titled
"Toothpaste Cannot Go Back In The Tube"
"The Orangutan is holding up a toothpaste tube, not only as a piece of plastic garbage left by humanity but also as a metaphor for the irreparable damage we are inflicting on our world."
I identify and commiserate with the Orangutan but, because my mother always told me that it's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness, I have turned to this;
Can you read it? it's a zero waste replacement for your toothpaste. Can I hear an amen?
My dental floss now comes in paper, not plastic.
I've also started washing my hair with cake shampoo and I can testify that it works just well as the stuff that comes in plastic bottles. Next time we meet I'll show you how silky my hair is now.
There's more.
I've traded in Lubriderm with its throwaway bottles for Public Goods lotion--they send re-fills; that doesn't eliminate plastic entirely but it does cut it down.
And in the laundry room;
To replace gallon jugs of Clorox!
These are tiny steps, but every little bit does something and it's good to shop with awareness, and to form good habits. I'll keep searching for solutions. I'm sure you're seeking solutions as well and I'd love to hear what you're finding. Here are the companies I've found;
Public Goods https://www.publicgoods.com
HiveBrand http://hivebrands.com
Terra & Co
Yes, the work ahead of us is enormous. As the Talmud says;
The good news is, we're not alone. People all over the world are gathering to find ways to save the Earth.
Today at four o'clock in Central Park,
this will be a gathering of the following Faith groups and anyone else, including, I hope, YOU!
American Indian Community House Jewish Climate Action Network NY Society for Ethical Culture American Buddhist Study Center Fourth Universalist Society Earth Care, First Presbyterian Church @ 12th St. Beloved Earth Community, Riverside Church Third Act New York Friends (Quaker) in Unity with Nature Sponsored by: Third Act Interfaith Group
April 21, 2022
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