Best Friend Handbook: S.O.S. Mother Earth

24 Oct Best Friend Handbook: S.O.S. Mother Earth

My friend Katherine Stuart writes a wonderful blog,”Best Friend Handbook,” everything from fashion and beauty tips to nutrition and recipes – including recipes for success. In this special case, in light of recent, dark moves by the EPA and the current administration in general, Katherine’s focus is on Mother Earth, whose health and well-being are clearly challenged, and on climate change. She offers ways we can all buck the Beltway drift and make a difference. And locally, check out this story from EcoAction Partners about 20 ways to reduce your carbon footprint in the Telluride region.

Katherine Stuart

 

Is it just me or has Mother Earth been giving us a big F*CK YOU lately? Between the hurricanes, the earthquakes and the fires, it feels as if we are on the verge of imploding. Of course, if you believe in climate change (and if you don’t, really!?! Pull your head out of your ass), we are definitely at a tipping point. It’s so scary that sometimes I feel frozen, completely unsure of what I can even do about helping Mother Earth.

Because let’s be clear — all of these “sudden” changes in weather patterns are a warning sign. And though my first instinct is to crawl under the covers and hide with a good romance novel, we ignore this S.O. S. at our own peril. But trying to figure out the choices for helping Mother Earth is somewhat overwhelming. And really, does one person’s contribution even matter?

YES, it matters. Imagine if every person in the world made just one change that had a positive impact on the environment. It might be something simple like switching out your disposable plastic water bottle for one that’s reusable. Or it might be something bigger like putting in solar panels. Now, imagine if you kept upping the ante, pushing yourself to continually make changes that were helping Mother Earth. Now, that could change the world.

I find the thought of climate change — melting polar ice caps, and no more tigers –to be more than I can bear. So, I have to break it down into simple actions that I can do that are helping Mother Earth. Here are a few of my favorites:

Ditch the Plastic Water Bottle

As an avid water drinker, this is a hard one for me. I’ve switched to a metal SIGG water bottle at home and in the car. They come in a wide array of sizes, shapes and colors.

But it’s hard to always stay away from plastic. Especially when I travel. However, I just read a recent statistic that has strengthened my resolve: By 2050, there will more plastic in the ocean than fish.  Talk about scary. So, one of the easy ways of helping Mother Earth is to always travel with your own water bottle. If metal is too heavy, these BPA-free plastic flasks are a great option:…

Continue reading and learning here.

More about Katherine Stuart:

Katherine is a former movie executive and screenwriter who now runs her own content company, Content by Katherine. Her blog, the Best Friend Handbook, was born out of a desire to help other women feel better about themselves. As a lifelong best friend, fashion aficionado, former Pilates instructor, and amateur cook as well as the person that everyone comes to for advice, Katherine decided to take her opinions global, and create a virtual best friend. You know, someone who loves you no matter what. Who never judges you for eating, say, a quart of ice cream, always knows the best recipe for an impromptu dinner party and who can tell you exactly which eye cream will make you look like less of a hag the morning after one glass too many.