Older is Wiser...?

I heard on NPR a few days ago, and my Mom heard on the news this evening, of the rice shortage in Asia, people hoarding them, etc. (rice hoarding). Sounds like it could potentially be a scene from "Mad Max". Add to that the $4+/- per gallon of gas to fill up. And bottled water we've been purchasing instead of drinking it from the faucet as I did in Hawaii growing up in the good old days. As I washed my dishes, it immediately became a pretty scary realization that humankind is going downhill, with the speed only increasing exponentially as time passes.

Conspicuous consumption used to be in vogue especially at the start of the industrial revolution, but now I think it's just gluttony. When you see proof of its effects to the world, it makes one think twice about how to live. I already recycle my plastic bottles, glass wine bottles, some aluminum cans (don't really drink soda), milk/juice cartons, etc. Everyday before I use or throw something away I think twice. Lately it's been like dire straits that I should think twice, three times before throwing something. What else is there to do to alleviate consumption and help prevent the growth of landfills in order to slow down shortage and have a healthier environment? What else is there to do?

Well whenever I go out for Asian food and use wooden chopsticks, I've begun to wipe it off and take it home to wash and reuse. Been a few weeks now. My grandmother washes and reuses her ziplock bags and I tried to but the sticky stuff stays. But I have been saving the little trays my tv dinners come in, washing them to reuse them again. Same with take-out plastic utensils. Plastic, depending on the make, can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.

And instead of using what scarce water we have to wash dishes and utensils, I've been mulling about the idea of eating with my hands like they do in India and other parts of Asia, so I don't waste the water. I stopped using straws when I go through the drive in or any restaurant, and just drink it from the cup. No cover unless I get in the car with it. And speaking of cars, I have my own business and need some kind of truck or SUV, but the hybrid versions are still hellishly expensive so...?

Eating with hands, lighting with candles, planting a garden of food in your backyard... Medieval times, or saving grace?

To tell you the truth, I'm scared as hell what direction we are going into in this era. Making an eco-friendly clothing line is not enough. Everyday we need to be conscious of what we consume and stop using disposable anything as much as possible!

What are YOU willing to change in your life? We really need to do something. And more somethings.

So yes, there's LOTS to worry about. Like the mortality rate and fate of humankind.