The other night, as both of my sons were leaving the house, one to go visit a friend and the other to Buffalo Wild Wings, I realized that they now have a better social life than I do. When did THIS HAPPEN??? (Thank you Rachel for sticking around the house most nights with mommy.) Therefore, my motto for this weekend was going to be “Life is short, take chances.” Well, let me tell you about the scandalous and adventurous weekend I have planned!!! If you are prone to extreme envy, DO NOT READ ON ANY FURTHER. This afternoon, my sister from Sheboygan is coming into town with her husband to take my mom to lunch for her birthday, which is tomorrow. I will probably join them, do a little lunch at the Olive Garden, maybe stop at the Home Depot…. (Yes, I know I sound like Will Ferrell’s character at the beginning of the movie “Old School”). Later on this evening, dinner with friends. Yes Cody, SOMEONE ACTUALLY INVITED US somewhere!! (Last night my son Cody was in shock that someone really invited us adults to do something.) Tomorrow, sandwiches and cake with my other sister and mom for lunch, homework, and if I really decide to live on the edge, I might stay up until 10:30 to catch at least the first half of Saturday Night Live, knowing full well I will be asleep with the TV on before the musical guest plays their first set.
Since I find myself unable to take wild and crazy chances this weekend, I can do something better, provide you with some information that make a difference to our environment.
Has anyone ever heard of The Great Pacific Dump? Most of us are not aware that a garbage patch exists in the North Pacific which extends several miles into the deep sea. Not only do fisherman and ocean liners have to avoid the world’s largest landfill, that comes from both the East and the West, but it is also dangerous and toxic to marine life. Yesterday, I was manning (or “womaning” to be politically correct) the Phi Theta Kappa booth in the NWTC Student Commons. Though I was aware that Phi Theta Kappa is working to eliminate plastics from polluting our waterways by collecting bottle caps, I was unaware of the enormity of the issue. Pretty ignorant of me, considering one of my closest friends is a supporter of saving and protecting our rivers. I want to implore anyone reading this to be cognizant of exactly what products you are using and how you are disposing of them. Stopping this problem from getting any bigger can be done by using as many bio-degradable materials possible, and disposing of plastic items (such as bottle caps) into a recyclable collection bin. Phi Theta Kappa has bottle cap collection bins scattered throughout the building at NWTC. The bottle caps that Phi Theta Kappa collects go to several national companies who melt them down and recycle them into things like shampoo bottle caps and toothbrush handles. (Just a side note, I would love to name these companies and give them credit, however, I am not sure exactly what the restrictions are about giving free publicity on a blog. Yes, I know this coming from the woman who mentioned Olive Garden, Home Depot, and Buffalo Wild Wings above.) In conclusion of this post, I have attached a photo of the great garbage patch, and if it changes the actions of just one reader, I will have succeeded in making a difference. Something to think about this weekend.
I've heard about the Great Pacific Dump, great to hear that more people are talking about it and trying to make a difference. Every little bit helps!!
ReplyDeleteJody
@Jody,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. I didn't want to bore people by getting on my environmentalist soap box, however, I think it's important to raise awareness of this issue. Often we do not think about things like this because we do not see it on a day to day basis.
Karrie