Before you ask that for "To Go" please read!

     I was walking home from the Milwaukee public library today, when I saw heaps and heaps of garbage along the side of the road.  I thought to myself, it was not just one little piece of trash that could be cleaned up rather quickly. No, there were heaps and heaps of cups, plastic soda bottles, wrappers of candy and food items dispersed along the street. 


       Through my study and work at the Urban Ecology Center, I was very impressed at how much emphasis they put on educating our children, our youth  and communities in Milwaukee to start small in saving the Earth. What does that mean, one may ask? Well, if one can take care of the Earth in his or her own nook of the world, then that is a HUGE start.  One beautiful way to help Mother Earth, is by not buying things in plastic containers or by consuming so many packaged items.  As I began to roam back home to my apartment, I thought to myself, how and why did we get this way? Why do so many people treat the Earth, the ground, the air and the water like it is a massive garbage dump that reads: Discard here.  How sad! 


A little mantra I have heard that we can all use: the THREE R's:


-REDUCE
-REUSE
-RECYCLE


The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world’s people generate 40% of the world’s waste.


This fact made me gringe!! America we must change now, not later, but TODAY!

    America this is beyond daunting, this is sick, we must stop being slobs and we must take care of our country, one small step at a time!!!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, theaverage American produces about 4.4 pounds (2 kg) of garbage a day, or a total of 29 pounds (13 kg) per week and 1,600 pounds (726 kg) a year.


Source retrieved from: <http://blog.ecochange.org/2009/04/17/the-usa-is-the-1-trash-producing-country-in-the-world-2/>


With the craze of holiday shopping coming up for family, friends and loved ones, ask yourself the simple question, Do I really need to buy this for myself or for my family? Do I have anything else I could do or make for them that I already currently own? 


Perhaps, America needs to slow down, and truly ask themselves the simple, old age question: Do I really need this in this moment??


Save a tree.....
for your grandson or grand-daughter...for our future generations.


Posted and Written by: Callie Beth Angsten