Bcoz we want the best??

We always crave for the best things in our life.. We often feel bad that we don't have the best car, the best mobile, the best home, the best friends, the best job, the best pay (this i guess even Bill Gates would be complaining!). Interestingly we keep trying to achieve these in life. Can we also say that these are the motivating factors which keep us boosted to try more and more. In a way it makes total sense. Yes we deserve to get the best for the efforts we put in..  And it is amazing to see that we don't want to lose, cos we want the best!! And for whom?? For ourselves, for our kith and kin, for our kids.. We are able to achieve anything in our "wishlist" that is materialistic. What about "life" by itself? Is it there in our wishlist? Are we knowingly ignoring the fact that life can't continue to exist on this planet this way? Are we doing this to our own kids bcos we want the best?? We can give them everything they want, but can we give them what they actually need?? The list is originally very small.. Space to live, Air to breathe, Water to drink, Food to eat, Clothes to wear.. And whatever we are doing to the earth right now is enough to detain them from the above listed.

Governments all over the world are planning to stop the usage and thereby the production of plastic bags. It is marching its way out and we are moving in towards B.Y.O.B (Bring Your Own Bag, not Bottle). Plastic bags are typically thrown away after one use, do not break down easily in the environment, fill landfills, and float into trees, rooftops, roadways and oceans. Americans throw away almost 100 billion plastic bags every year, and only 1 percent to 3 percent are recycled, leaving the rest to clog streams, foul landscapes, and kill birds and marine mammals. Did we even know what we were doing to our fellow creatures?? Over 100,000 marine animals DIE every year from plastic entanglement..

Paper or Plastic? Paper bags, which many people consider a better alternative to plastic bags, carry their own set of environmental problems. For example, according to the American Forest and Paper Association, in 1999 the U.S. alone used 10 billion paper grocery bags, which adds up to a lot of trees. And some industry reps say it takes more energy to recycle a paper bag vs. plastic.

Reusable cloth bags are much more eco-friendly and you can help by using them as alternatives to paper or plastic. We can help by doing some very simple things:

1.         Switch to reusable shopping bags and replace paper and plastic bags. Reusable bags are convenient and come in a variety of sizes, styles and materials. 

2.         Recycle your plastic bags. If you do end up using plastic bags now and then, be sure to recycle them. If you already have a collection of plastic bags from past shopping trips, make sure you reuse them. Take them out with you when you go shopping, or use them to store items.

3.         Take a look at what you already have in your house. Beach bags, canvas bags, shopping bags, backpacks, etc. can all be used to carry items home from a shopping excursion.

4.         Very importantly, stop using plastic/paper plates in partys. The next time you buy plates for partys make sure you look for "biodegradable" paper cups/plates.

I have seen many people doing this today sincerely. If they can, everyone of us should.

"God makes three requests of his children. Do the best you can, where you are, with what you have, now"