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What is ONE CHANGE You Can Do?

5/18/2022

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I am inspired by the folks on UUFCM’s Social Justice Coordinating Team and ideas shared about things we can do to make a difference for our Mother Earth, our environment, and Climate Change. A recent discussion implored us to FIND ONE SIMPLE THING to change in our lives to “make a difference.” So, off I went on the internet looking for inspiration to share with you.  
 
What did I find? I found wonderful YouTube videos (which tend to be the most motivating) to engage us in making changes. But I found that it isn’t so simple. 
 
Change comes on two levels – individual acts and systemic changes. We need to be part of both! What we do individually is definitely important, but the real bang goes to joining in the “movement” which is happening all around us to produce systemic change in our society.
 
Greta Thunberg said, “No one is too small to make a difference. Don’t forget that.”
​

These two videos communicate more clearly what I might try to say.
ACTION:
1.   Our Individual Actions:
​      
Please do watch the 16-minute Ted Talk on the power of what we buy called responsible consumerism.
How to Save the Earth with 5 Minutes a Day
of Responsible Consumerism

Shaun Frankson, TEDxStanleyPark
This Talk brings to life the power of the growing social media movement and how it can make a positive change in what we buy and how we can influence corporations.   "It can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit and an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic."   Pick an activity to change - and do it until it becomes a habit.  Many ideas are out there, especially as you continue to read Mother Earth Love tidbits.
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2. Systemic Change:
​     
Watch this 8-minute video by Earthwise on how to become involved in “systemic change”
     by joining the movements that are all around us.
What You Can Do About Climate Change
Earthwise: The Breakdown, Episode Five
Movements in our community and state are many, including the Mt. Pleasant Citizens Climate Lobby, The Sierra Club, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy, and many more.  Join others who are on the same path.
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Reply on your thoughts about these films.
Submitted by Karen Turnbull, with inspiration from the Social Justice Coordinating Team of UUFCM.
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NO MORE Plastic Laundry Detergent Bottles

5/4/2022

5 Comments

 
Plastic laundry detergent bottles be gone! I know, we all want clean clothes, and using concentrated laundry detergent seems so routine to all of us. But there is a much better OPTION. A simple solution to such a big problem.
 
Every year in North America over 30 billion loads of laundry are done. This adds up to over 900 million plastic laundry detergent jugs. They come in many sizes and colors. Only 30% of all of these plastic jugs are recycled.  The rest end up in landfills and some in our waterways and oceans. That is 630,000,000 plastic laundry jugs polluting our Mother Earth every year.
 
There are many reasons to make plastic laundry bottles vanish! First is the water. The content of laundry detergent in bottles is between 60-90% water. Water is not needed, as it only adds weight and volume to the product that is transported across the country. Think of the amount of carbon emissions all of these trucks are adding into our atmosphere, simply getting the plastic bottles with mostly water to our stores. Using a colored, shiny plastic bottle with mostly water is a marketing ploy. You can see them so well in the grocery aisle as they line up all of the bottles. Our own Meijer store has a whole row of these colorful bottles. 
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Add to that the chemicals that are in many laundry detergents. Some common ones include phosphates, dyes, and formaldehyde. But the three most dangerous are:
  1.  Sodium lauryl sulfate - which can cause cancer and endocrine disruptors
  2. 1,4 dioxane - which is hard on our livers and kidneys
  3. Nonylphenol ethoxylate - which also causes endocrine disruptors 
 
Add to that the petroleum and natural gas that are used to make the plastic bottles. Most of the plastic is called HDP (high-density polyethylene) made from by-products at the petroleum and natural gas refineries. I never knew what feedstocks meant, but it is part of the process of using fossil fuel by-products to make plastics (HDP, PP and PET) which are also called polymers. If you are inclined toward science, this case study tells you more than you might ever want to know about the process of making these plastics.  
 
The Solution:
Abandon the plastic bottle laundry detergent and turn toward a 3-5 gram piece of paper that dissolves into laundry detergent in your washing machine. They will work in cold to hot water. They will work with whites and colors. They get stains off of your clothes and so far, I have been very happy with the results. And no more plastic jugs!
 
We have found 4 companies that produce this product that you can order online, and there are more: 
Earth Breeze - this company donates 10 loads of laundry detergent to non-profits on behalf of your order.
True Earth  - made in Canada and very hypoallergenic. 
Net Zero - they also make other sustainable products which can be found on their website.
Dropps - first company to make little pods for laundry detergent and dishwasher liquid.
 
Each of these companies has wonderful stories about how they started and why they are “saving the earth”’ in their own way. Each company produces a wonderful and sustainable product that gets rid of plastic bottles and has been rated highly. 
 
One company website said, “If everyone switched to Eco-Strips we could eliminate 1 billion plastic jugs, and save truck fuel and CO2 equivalent to taking 27 million cars off the road a day... or planting 9 million new trees.”

Another company said, “Taking care of the environment by making small decisions that work just as well as or better than what you did before, that is how we get there. You don’t have to sacrifice for that. You’re actually going to find that you like this stuff.”
Actions:
  1. Do check out each of the company websites above and read about them. They are making a difference and their website stories are engaging.
  2. Ditch your plastic bottle laundry detergent and try this new product. You can make a difference with reducing your use of plastics, trucking costs, and less use of chemicals.
  3. Samples of the product will be at the UU Fellowship Hall. Take a sample and try it first.
  4. Spread the word to your family and friends. Many will feel good about helping our Mother Earth in a simple and fun way - and have clean clothes!
Submitted by Karen Turnbull, with a big thank you to Jennifer Davis for her research on the companies.
She has been using this product for quite a while. Let’s join her!
5 Comments

    Mother Earth Love

    Simple Changes
    Make a Difference!

    Our knowledge, motivation, and new habits we incorporate into our daily lives can help the
    healing of our Mother Earth. Individual actions we take can collectively make a difference.
    Please share your stories, comments, and questions.

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