• RE-THINK,  Think Piece

    One

    Think about the little actions you take every day and how they add up. I’m writing this just after the turn of the year, at the beginning of 2023. It’s the tradition to make resolutions in January. This year, I will work on ONE thing at a time. ONE is so much less daunting than the whole long list of “shoulds” – those things that we feel we should accomplish. A counselor I knew said “Don’t should on yourself.” I agree! I am one of those individuals who always have lots of thoughts inserting themselves into their heads. Lately, the thoughts are about ONE: • One planet home • One…

  • conversation about eco choices
    Think Piece

    The Conversation

    "The task of saving the planet will involve a great reckoning with ourselves – with our all-too-human reluctance to sacrifice immediate comfort for the sake of the future." – from We Are the Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer

  • puppet on letter c
    Book Reviews,  RE-THINK,  Think Piece

    The Letter C

    These days, two C words I think a lot about are Climate and Change. Betty Shelley Does that remind you of Sesame Street? I loved watching it with our son when he was little; it was a good way to have some quiet time with him while learning interesting things. One of the things they did on the show was highlighting a particular letter, explaining how to use it in spelling various words like Cat and Cow and Cup and COOKIE! And they would use the words in sentences to make sure the children Comprehended the meaning of the word. These days, two C words I think a lot about are Climate and Change. Other C words that come to…

  • RE-THINK,  Reduce,  Think Piece

    Thinking Upstream

    “Hey, what’s that in the river?! It looks like…. It can’t be…Yes… yes, it’s a BABY! Oh my gosh, here comes another one! What on earth is happening?!? Where are those babies coming from?!” The people on the river banks jump in to rescue the babies floating downstream. They are able to reach them and save the babies from drowning. Then the next day, there are four babies struggling in the river! More folks jump in and save those babies. This process continues each consecutive day until finally, one of the people on the riverbank turns and runs upstream. “Where are you going?” shout the others. “I’m going to see…

  • Bolt drawing
    Go Electric,  Think Piece

    Our Own Backyards

    EDITOR’S PAGE Long before we began publishing the Green Living Journal, we bought a home that happened to be well insulated and heated and cooled with an efficient electric heat pump. It was the year 2000, and little did we know then that we had set the stage for our future personal journey to reduce our environmental impact. Our 3/4 acre property was nothing more than an empty field with blackberries and a few oaks, cherry, and hawthorn trees on the edges. So, over the next several years, we established our veggie garden, planted five kinds of berries, and kiwis, and added several different species of trees and shrubs. Of…

  • Girl signals enough
    Education,  Reduce,  Think Piece

    Enough

    “Only when all contribute their firewood can they build up a strong fire.”Chinese proverb. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day today, and I was out for my walk, reveling in the colors of the leaves and the crispness of the air, this being my favorite season. As I passed the neighborhood elementary school, I noticed that some classes were sitting outside, having lunch under a shelter. The kids were sitting on mats, all spread out per COVID guidelines, and appeared to be enjoying themselves. Observing this made me think once again about how adaptable and flexible we need to be to cope with the multitude of challenges, large and…