Take a moment to learn how you and I bare responsibility for the BP spill. For example:
Imagine a typical plastic water bottle filled 1/3rd with oil: that’s how much oil was used to make it.
Get a Kleen Kanteen instead of using bottled water. That way you can drink clean water without the chemicals that leach from the plastic bottle and cut down on the plastic used.
Learn more about the personal choices you can make to help prevent more spills.
Recycling, energy and the BP spill
The still-growing BP spill is a stark reminder of the many dangers and problems created by our society’s insatiable demand for oil. But as this disaster forces us to confront these problems and put serious thought into their solutions, it’s important to understand the connections that tie them together. Our addiction to oil is fueled by more than automobiles: it persists because of an attitude that we can consume and waste our resources as if they have no limits. Trash and recycling are connected to more than just landfills and green bins. The fact is, our current produce it-use it once-throw it away society wastes more than just paper or plastic – it wastes oil, and lots of it. If we can reform this unsustainable, wasteful system, we can help reduce the need for drilling anywhere. more…
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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I like this a lot. People need to break the bad habit of buying plastic water bottles. Stainless Steel is the safest way to go. This is so easy. Make it a fashion statement if you have to, just do it. Don't listen to negativists who say it won't make enough difference. You do this for yourself, part of an attitude adjustment, as Sharon writes.
omg. i'm on this. i'll imagine oil every sip i take from plastic now. ew. ew. ew.
I use as little of the plastic stuff as I can. For example, you go to the grocery store and they put just, say, 1 carton of eggs in a plastic bag. You get dozens of them for a few pieces of grocery. BTW, the eggs are already in a plastic carton! If nothing else, tell the sacker to fill up the plastic bag!
I agree. My workplace has bottled water passed out at every meeting, yet we recycle many different items and think we're "green."
Drinking out of a real glass at work is my favorite.
Decreasing our plastic consumption is just one way we can decrease our need for oil. I use my green bags, or if I forget them, paper.
One way I have cut down on my petroleum products: I no longer use them to clean my house. It's alarming how many products on the shelves contain some form of petroleum.
Another way I cut down my petroleum is: I no longer use petroleum to lubricate my skin. Almost all lotions and moisturizers contain petroleum. Even the fancy expensive ones.
In the book: "Green, Greener, Greenest", it is quoted to say "that if every American turned up their thermostat 1 degree we wouldn't even need to rely on foreign oil."
We have the power to choose what's best for the long haul. So please reduce your petroleum use in your house by eliminating petroleum based cleaning products and moisturizers.
As the 'ole time saying goes–"the best way to bring down the price of lettuce is to leave lettuce on the shelf"!! Works every time.