A LONG WAY TO GO

As a freelance writer and the House and Home editor for Natural Family Online, my job is not to tout my expertise in the area of eco-friendly living, but to write on subjects in this genre, which will inspire readers to move along the green continuum.

Apparently, the word hasn't gotten out to enough people and I am destined to keep at it.

This past summer I had a revelation, and the sights that spawned this inner awakening still gnaw at me...

During one particular week, no matter where I turned, I seemed to come upon numerous individuals who were involved in eco-"unfriendly" practices as I went about my business in east Long Beach. One morning, while I walked my dog along the street in front of my house, a fleet of trucks labeled, "Vector Control," entered my neighborhood like a commando squad. I watched in dismay as workers shot streams of pesticides into the manholes and storm drains in an attempt to rid our area of mosquitoes. No doubt these pesticides were harmless to humans, animals, and schools of fish--the lucky recipients at the end of the sewer system. I quickly yanked my dog's leash and headed away from the toxic spray.

On another day, I took my puppy to a local park for a walk along a meandering nature path. Flanking us on both sides were men in white suits, who looked more like workers in a uranium plant than city employees out for a day's pay. Not only were they swathed from head to toe in protective clothing, but they also sported masks and gloves, leaving no skin exposed. Their job? To spray every weed in sight. I hoped my dog wouldn't romp in the grass, nor eat the verdant blades beneath her paws. After all, dogs shouldn't do that, should they?

My final straw, was when my daughter and I exited a Rite Aid store and watched a man open his pristine item and then flagrantly toss the wrapper on the ground.

It appears that some people have never learned that throwing trash anywhere, is aesthetically unappealing.

Each of the above scenarios was deeply disturbing to me and left an indelible mark that keeps nudging me to keep writing and sharing positive ideas on "greener" living.

If we each took the time to sit, listen and watch life around us, we would see that the water, which runs off our lawns--and often contains herbicides--is the very water the birds dip their beaks into for their daily drinks. The snail bait we put out to protect our beloved flowers, rests in the same beds our dogs burrow their noses in. And the pesticides sprayed in our public buildings, insidiously remain behind, seeping into our bodies while we transact our business and pass through marbled halls. These chemicals are everywhere. We breathe them, touch them, walk through them--and worst of all, expose our children to them.

When I observed the actions of a few this past summer, I realized, as a society, we have a long way to go. We must begin to make more conscious choices in the things we buy, and be willing to make changes in our personal habits. We can pick the weeds by hand and use non-toxic products at home. We can write letters, call local government officials and make our voices heard.

Options do exist.

It's up to us to make the world a greener place. And we can do that, one step at a time, in a good-faith effort to move along the eco-friendly continuum.

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