Author: I Am Piper

Categories
Lifestyle Sustainabilty

Pollution is the Problem – Climate Change the Symptom

Pollution is the Problem

smokestack pollution While the current ecological and environmental focus is all about climate change, I feel strongly that this is a distraction, a diversion from the real problem. Climate change happens naturally. The climate has been changing for all of earth’s history. There are many different epochs of climate reality that existed throughout geologic time. Humans are part of nature. The climate will change, no matter what we do, and we should probably accept that at some level, just as we accept the fact that the tides rise and fall. It might be time to recognize that large investments in waterside properties isn’t very wise. It is also prudent to develop strategies for adaptation that are equitable and sustainable.

We should also accept that as part of Nature we can affect the environment with our activities. Humans have been doing so for all of our species existence. Humans have been burning prairies and clearing forests, transporting seeds and animals across geographic boundaries they never would have crossed, and taking matter that was in the ground and dispersing it into the air for millennia . This global PR campaign urging us to fight climate change permeating our culture and even across cultures, around the planet, is focusing our attention on an aspect of the problem, while obscuring the true culprit, our unchecked consumption with no regard to where the waste ends up.

Climate change is just a symptom. We need to move beyond the symptom to the cause, which is pollution – of every kind. Matter out of place, as they say on the playa, is THE problem, whether that be carbon in the air or plastic in the sea (another long chain carbon product).

Climate change as a problem is just wrong thinking, as I see it. It’s like complaining about the weather. There is no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. Humans are adaptable and that is our genius, it is also our weakness. Our adaptability requires a sense of conformity, a need to feel part of the herd. It is that tendency that allows US to be manipulated through the science and techniques of what is known as Public Relations.

The Public Relation campaign permeated through all media channels for preventing or fighting Climate Change is based on facts that should concern us and has, for the most part, commendable goals of reduced fossil fuel waste. (Burning a finite resource that can be used to make so much material stuff is stealing that resource from our progeny. At least plastics have some possibilities for recycling. Once fuel is burned those long carbon chains are broken forever).


But reducing our dependence on fossil fuels while increasing our use of rare earth minerals and continuing on the path of mass consumption with little to no regard for the waste created will only hasten the existential crisis of a decimated environment and collapsed ecologies. Never mind the ongoing devastation created by the greatest generator of pollution humans engage in, modern warfare. It is modern warfare that will be used to secure those new resources.


This all appears to me to be an oligarchical shell game. A socialPacific gyre plastics in the ocean manipulation of the highest order, to shift the economic focus for a few generations to a new set of markets and infrastructure of centralized control. The economic incentives for doing so are enormous. By concentrating the focus of environmental awareness on Climate Change, the ongoing game of commodification of everything can continue, with the populations happily playing along, doing our jobs, buying our cars and living increasingly in our personal technological bubbles.

The economic incentive – ie the potential for concentrated profit and exploitation is limited with a more self sufficient and healthy population living in community, as humans always have. The wealth of the nation becomes more distributed to the many local and sustainable sources of public utilities and services. For this reason alone, it is not in the media conglomerates or their owners interest to create this kind of awareness and concern.In fact their motivation is quite the opposite, and we can see how effectively they are dismantling any faith in reason and even Democracy.

Public resources are free and shared resources. Natural resources should be recognized as public property. Freedom hasn’t been increasing in these United States. In fact everything is costing more, and less and less is available for “free.” By accepting the notion of Socialism as working and providing for the public good, maybe we can adapt to a more longitudinal perspective that seriously considers the needs and possibilities we are creating and leaving for future generations. This awareness and the actions they inspire must come from US, from the people, because the “owners” will lose profit and power as it shifts back to where it belongs – with the people.

We are living in the future’s past.

 

Categories
Sustainabilty

A Chat with the OpenChat A.I. about this website

I’m sorry, but as an AI language model I don’t have the ability to browse the web or access external websites. However, I can still try my best to help you with any questions or problems you have within the scope of my knowledge. Is there something specific you would like to know or talk about?


Piper speakingI want to improve my website “buyingthefuture.com” so that it is more effective in increasing awareness of responsible consumerism and the power of each and every dollar any of US spend.

Open AISure! I’d be happy to help you improve your website. Here are a few tips that may help you increase awareness of responsible consumerism and the power of each and every dollar that we spend:

  1. Make sure your website is well-designed and easy to navigate. This will help visitors find what they’re looking for and stay on your site longer.
  2. Clearly communicate your message. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up text and make it easier to read. Make sure your website clearly explains what responsible consumerism is and how it can make a difference.
  3. Use social media to promote your website and your message. Share links to your website on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to reach a wider audience.
  4. Use strong, eye-catching images and graphics to draw visitors in and help them understand your message.
  5. Make it easy for visitors to take action. Include calls to action on your website, such as “Learn More” or “Get Involved,” to encourage visitors to find out more about responsible consumerism and how they can make a difference.

I hope these tips are helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions or if there’s anything else I can do to assist you.

Piper speakingHow best to describe responsible consumerism and how it can make a difference?

Open AIResponsible consumerism is a way of making informed choices as a consumer that takes into account the social and environmental impact of products and services. It involves considering the entire lifecycle of a product, from the way it is made, to the materials and resources used, to how it is disposed of. By choosing products and services that are produced ethically and sustainably, consumers can use their purchasing power to support companies that are doing their part to protect people and the planet.

There are many ways in which responsible consumerism can make a difference:

  1. Supporting ethical and sustainable practices: By choosing products that are made ethically and sustainably, consumers can support companies that prioritize these values.
  2. Reducing environmental impact: Responsible consumerism can help reduce the environmental impact of production and consumption by choosing products made with eco-friendly materials and processes.
  3. Promoting social justice: Responsible consumerism can help promote social justice by supporting companies that treat their workers fairly and pay them a living wage.
  4. Driving change: By choosing to support companies that are doing good, consumers can help drive change and encourage other companies to adopt more responsible practices.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Piper speakingIsn’t responsible consumerism more expensive?

 

Open AIIt’s true that some products and services that are made ethically and sustainably may cost more than their traditional counterparts. However, it’s important to consider the long-term costs and benefits of different choices. In some cases, choosing a product that is made sustainably may actually save money in the long run. For example, a product that is made to last longer or be more energy-efficient may save money on repairs or utility bills.

It’s also worth considering the hidden costs of cheaper products. For example, a product that is made cheaply may use low-quality materials that break down quickly or use production processes that harm the environment. These costs are not always immediately apparent, but they can add up over time and have significant long-term consequences.

Ultimately, responsible consumerism is about making informed choices that take into account the full range of costs and benefits of different products and services. It’s not always possible or practical to choose the most sustainable option in every case, but by considering the impact of our choices, we can make a positive difference.

Piper speakingIt seems very hard to take into account the full range of costs and benefits of different products and services

Open AIIt can be challenging to take into account the full range of costs and benefits of different products and services, especially when there is a lot of information to consider and many different factors at play. However, there are a few steps you can take to make informed choices as a responsible consumer:

  1. Research the product or service you’re considering. Look for information about the materials and resources used in its production, as well as the company’s policies and practices related to sustainability and social responsibility.
  2. Consider the entire lifecycle of the product. Think about the impact of the product or service not just during its use, but also during its production, transportation, and disposal.
  3. Look for third-party certifications. There are a number of organizations that certify products and services as being sustainable or ethically produced. Look for certifications such as Fair Trade, Organic, or LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
  4. Consider the cost-benefit trade-off. Determine whether the additional cost of a more sustainable or ethical product is worth it based on your values and priorities.
  5. Make a plan. It’s not always possible to make the most sustainable or ethical choice in every situation, but by setting goals and making a plan, you can gradually make more responsible choices over time.

I hope these tips are helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Categories
Sustainabilty

Disposable lighters? Pure junk – use a refillable.

As I’ve written before. One of the problems we’re dealing with is the preponderance of single use plastic and concurrent waste that occurs due to it.

I’m a smoker. I smoke cannabis. I like to smoke a joint and so I need to have something to light that joint. For a long time I used  Bic lighters just like just about everybody else, sometimes using the cheaper variants. But all in all, a non refillable plastic lighter. And those non refillable plastic lighters would just enter into the  the trash stream. You’d see it at the end of festivals. They’d be all over the place. They’d be be one of the things I’d pick up doing cleanup afterwards. There on the ground,  would be wasted, disposable lighters.

Well that bothered me. As one of my steps towards a less disposable consumer I searched out any type of metal refillable lighter I could find. I found a few different kinds. Many of them were variations of a butane torch. I looked at the Zippos. You know the regular standard. The old, old styled wet cotton, lighter. You know, soak the cotton with fuel, cotton work and get a nice big flame off of it. Many nice cases and stuff for those types of lighters, and it’s certainly a much more sustainable form of lighting a joint. Flint and steel, minimal use of petroleum distillate and even alcohol could be used.

So that is a rather practical old style lighter that has still has some value, but I don’t like the smell of the fuel and the lighters tend to be just a little bulkier. It’s just a fuel I don’t really like. I don’t like the taste of it. Especially if  lighting a pipe. It just tastes terrible.

So I kept looking at the butane torches. I found that I liked the light that you get with a very clean taste. Not that hard to get the fuel, but some of the lighters are rather expensive. Lose a $30 lighter and it’s like, wow. That’s too much to deal with. I found refillable plastic lighters and you can find them as well. They last  almost until you lose them. They don’t have a way of replacing the flint or the piezo igniter. Piezo wears out and that’s the end of that device, but still it’s much more than a single use.

I’ve migrated to a product put out by Ronson . It’s called the jet light. It’s primarily a metal lighter. It is refillable, with butane. It is adjustable, so it doesn’t have to be the big torch that a lot of them seem to be. I don’t really need that. I just want a quick little flame, and that’s what this provides.

It’s the JetLite, by Ronson. I like it. I found it for as little as four and a half dollars, (though the price seems to have risen to $12) which is not that much more than you pay for a disposable Bic Lighter. You can find them online, I see them at Walmart and Amazon and such for $6-$15. Yes, it’s bit more than you’re going to pay for a disposable Bic. They’re easier to keep because you don’t lose them as easily. Most other people don’t just put them in their pocket again thinking it’s their lighter because it’s obvious, it’s not their lighter.

People will put a lighter in their pocket because it’s the same color. That doesn’t happen with this lighter as it’s very obvious what it is. People tend to recognize it and then make sure it gets back to where it needs to go.

It’s one more ‘little’ thing that you can do, and that I have done to help eliminate plastic for the smokers out there and people that are still dependent on some sort of fire [always good to have some means of making fire].

Ronson jet light, lighter, I highly recommended. I’ve had, over the past five years, I’ve had two of them. One stop working and I’ve actually got to fix it, and it’s now in my spare. so that’s the way that goes. So there’s a durability there in fact I found that there’s videos YouTube videos on how to repair the PCL electrics on Jet light on YouTube. So it’s definitely got a fan base of people that are looking to keep their footprint as minimal as possible, get the most out of their products, and take things out of the earth, manufacturing, make them less than, and use them as long as possible, so that there’s more of that stuff in the earth and great, great grandkids and those folks coming after. Okay, watch those disposable lighters, get away from it, find yourself a nice slider that you can cherish and use and personalize. Just like people like to do with their big gliders but do it with a lighter that you’ll want to keep and you’ll take care of, and it’ll be another product that will last, maybe even you could, you know, get a nice one, you can hand it down to your grandkids.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Categories
Products Sustainabilty

A Pee Test Best Avoided

Normally, anyone that knows me would assume I’m referring to some sort of pre-employment screening for cannabis consumption when referring to a pee test.
That is not the kind of piss in the bottle urine sample for the courts type of piss test.
This other pee test, is one that most women are familiar with, is a test for pregnancy.

It is possible to determine a pregnancy by exposing a simple test strip to urine yielding an indication on the strip showing the result. The material impact of most pregnancy test strips are minimal, aside from the ubiquitous plastics in packaging and the single use strip holders, which is significant. There are many different models and manufacturers and while they all have different holders and marketing materials the actual process is the exact same chemical reaction. The Science says the actual process is exactly the same, expose the strip to urine, view the result. It is possible to buy just the strips (without all the packaging and single use plastic strip holders). That’s the way most Labs will get theirs.  Manufacturers and consumers can do better (and ARE see Meet Lia).

Unfortunately we are dealing with an upward climb towards resource respect and appropriate technologies. It is good to recognize how we can be manipulated into doing really stupid things. Marketing geniuses have decided to “digitize” pregnancy testers. In doing so there is absolutely no improvement in reliability, all benefits are of a psychological and reassuring intent. There is a countdown meter so you don’t have to look at a watch, clock or phone while the reaction proceeds. Then there is the reassurance of a actual word result as opposed to differentiating between 1 or 2 bars on a strip. Other than those “benefits” there is no difference in efficacy.

That’s what makes this an even more insidious and almost deceitful product line. All that’s happening in the gadget is that the same test strip is being read by the technology. It is the exact same chemical reaction with an actual test strip being read by the sensors. It’s the same test strip, the same chemical reaction! Sam Goldheart’s article, “Newest, Dumbest E-Waste Is Pee-Waste” from the iFixIt blog does a technical breakdown of the devices. She does a typical iFixIt “Teardown” where interested technicians evaluate technical solutions for their repairability and recyclability. These digital pregnancy testers are the epitome of inappropriate and wasteful technology.

For the additional few dollars price above the other test products extracted from anxious consumers, women are duped into contributing all sorts of debris to the waste stream. How are these going to be recycled or repaired? From the little battery to the LCD screen, never mind the plastic housing, all of it bound to be pollution that potential unborn human being is going to have to deal with.

With no actual benefit to the consumer other than Marketing hype.

Pregmate Pregnancy Test Strips

https://meetlia.com

 

https://ifix.gd/2FrIV09

Categories
Sustainabilty

Carbon is Not a Problem!

There’s something silly about arguments that disparage bio-fuels “which still emit Carbon” that I think is indicative of a social manipulation, though not sure 

The Essence of Life

Humans emit Carbon with every breath. The Carbon we exhale is closed loop carbon and is an essential part of the cycle of life for the carbon we exhale, plants inhale. But I know you know that.
If autos, buses, planes and trains are fueled by bio-fuels then they are just like other living species on the planet – and Life is Good.

A Balance to all things.


Of course there is a problem with Bio-Fuels as well – we grow food most of the places where we can grow anything already. Using corn for fuel walks the food industry. But considering most of the corn and soy we now grow feeds animals ( which wastes 70% of the nutritional value as opposed to eating them directly) stop feedng them grain (still can eat them – just only prarie raised and fininshed though) and we’d have a bucnch more for fuel.
Solutions are in the works – that’s why you sometimes here about Algae Bio-fuel.

Any of those sources are closed loop – the Carbon released by the vehicle burning that fuel will be absorbed and utilized by the plants creating the next batch of fuel.

BioFuels are not the problem

The problem is Capitalism – and it’s tendency to concentrate and monopolize and comodity any product (this product being energy).
We need to democratize and decentralize the means of production.
Each home/ town/community/neighborhood should have it’s own solar – geo-thermal – wind suplemented bio-digestor.

Energy Independence for US!


Let the Feds build the interconnecting infrastructure for resiliency.
Corporate Capitalism stifles that kind of sustainability, self sufficiency and FREEDOM!
How do we make this the land of the Free when we’ve been programmed to believe that nothing in Life IS?

Categories
Products

Don’t Buy Plastic… buy bio-plastics

One of the purchasing “rules” I’ve imposed on myself is to avoid all plastic containers, and most plastic products. Vegetarianism is easy, compared to this. Plastics are everywhere, and very difficult to avoid. What makes plastics fantastic, is also its problem. The choice about how we as a society use plastics is what we can influence with our purchases. Plastics we do choose to buy, need to be recycled. Look for, and buy, recycled plastic products, as well. 

Now there’s a new choice, and that is to find and buy bio-plastics. These containers can be composted and returned to the material stream.

Petroleum Plastic’s durability is the principle property that makes it so valuable to industry and consumers. It is also one of its prime deficits. Plastic can be molded into any vessel desired. Coca-Cola and other companies have been selling the world water in many forms, sugared, plain, or juiced in plastic bottles. Those empty containers have to go somewhere, and the producers take no responsibility for them. They clog our waste systems and end up throughout the environment. The oceans now have immense gyres of plastic debris. Products that have very limited shelf life have containers that are made of a material that can never be broken down to its source components. This an obviously inappropriate use of this valuable resource. 

Most of the plastic we encounter comes from petroleum feedstock. We all hear advertising claiming we have plenty of petroleum reserves for 100 years, or more. Natural gas proponents tout 250 years of reserves. I find these numbers horrific. That we accept these limits as reasonable shows how brainwashed we’ve become. Human culture has been on the planet for thousands of years. Who are we to burn and waste such a precious material feedstock at the rate we are? Won’t human beings want to make useful durable objects centuries from now? Who are we to deprive the future for the sake of profit and convenance today?

So I do all I can to buy recyclable plastic for those products I do still buy. Juices and most liquid products are also available in carton containers, and I seek those out. I also buy recycled plastic products when I can. My plates and cups are made from recycled plastic. Another favorite recycled plastic product is fleece. My blankets and jackets are all recycled polyester plastic. Patagonia is a company that is dedicated to using recycled plastics in some their products. (Unfortunately they are all foreign made, but that’s another post).

The other consumer choice that is now available to us is to seek out and buy bio-plastics. I first learned of these products at Rothbury Music Festival. This festival was dedicated to using sustainable practices wherever possible, including compostable cups. They published pictures of the cups being shredded, and eventually spread on the concert fields. Anytime we have a choice to use a grown product instead of a mined product, the grown product is typically the better choice. I’m seeing more use of bio-plastics in packaging and expect to see more. 

The evolution of plastic and its place in human culture is one example of how we can influence proper material utilization by industry with our purchases. The development of bio-plastics came from consumer demand.

I know humans can develop solutions that respectfully and appropriately harvest and utilize the planets resources. Consumer demand is a powerful force.

Categories
Lifestyle

9 Reasons Your Canine Teeth Don’t Make You a Meat-Eater

With a few exceptions, nearly all mammals have canine teeth. In fact the largest canine teeth of any land animal belong to a true herbivore!
— Read on freefromharm.org/photo-galleries/9-reasons-your-canine-teeth-dont-make-you-a-meat-eater/

Categories
Entertainment Sustainabilty

Music is a Sustainable Product

If we are all buying the future with every purchase, I’m doing my best to purchase a future filled with live music. A significant portion of my earnings are directed towards tickets for musical events. The latest being a trip to Denver, (Commerce City) for a Phish 3 day run. 

This trip wouldn’t be a good example of well directed purchasing for me. Primarily because of my dependence on air travel to get there and back. I did research rail availability. While I accept working around the extended time requirements of current rail travel, when I realized it would also cost me significantly more each way, it became beyond my ability to afford to “do the right thing.”

Cultural and sporting events can be great examples of sustainable economic activity as the environmental impacts are limited and can be ameliorated. This weekend’s show at Dick’s Sporting Good’s Park wasn’t a good example of a “sustainable” event though. For one, Public Transportation access was very limited and required an extensive walk for the last leg. The venue did have a $15 per car parking fee, (per car to foster car pooling according to the promoters). Many of the venues I’m familiar with have very good Public Transportation access. Madison Square Garden and The Barclay Center are both built on top of transportation hubs, a brilliant act of city planning for efficiency and sustainability. 

We are still using way too much non recyclable and indestructible packaging, and this was evident at Dick’s as well. It is great to see that there were a vegan food truck as well as a truck that served only grass fed meat products. 

It’s the music we were there to experience and the reason for purchasing our tickets. The venue is a multi-purpose outdoor facility, so I would imagine that it’s ecological impact would be minimal, especially when distributed over it’s lifespan. The production equipment has a material impact, but all of it is used multiple times and is capable of being recycled at end of life. The music is in the moment, produced from the calories and muscle movements of the musicians.