Butterfly ConservationLiving on a Wing and a Prayer
by Katharine Kincaid
In all their divine elegance and grace, butterflies are not only magical creatures but they are harmless and cherished by many both young and old. A romantic and adorned figure, butterflies have been a source of inspiration to artists, musicians and poets ever since the creation of civilization. Completely harmless, humankind feels deep affection for butterflies. Some cultures believe to have one purposefully land on you signifies great honor, good fortune and trust.
Although butterflies survive in extreme conditions, they are sensitive to environmental changes and many are threatened, endangered or even extinct. An important part of our ecosystem, the population of these winged creatures is growing less each day. Why are these precious winged creatures disappearing? Sadly, the truth is that mankind is the butterfly’s worst enemy. We threaten butterflies by our use of insecticides and the destruction of their habitat more than any other natural environmental phenomenon.
Many conservationists are working together to improve our environment in which animals and nature can coexist with mankind. We need to stop the wholesale destruction of their habitat and curtail the use of insecticides. What we all can do is cultivate a butterfly garden at our homes, offering plants that attract, nourish, and allow the full life-cycle of the butterflies to flourish. Then, perhaps, our children and our children’s children can enjoy them. The continuance of these angels of the air requires more than a wing and a prayer. We must be deliberate in our actions and become aware of the issues that affect our environment.
Enjoy our Butterfly video
copyrighted by Silver Dove Media 2009
Going GreenGreen Homes are Not Just for Leprechauns Anymore
It seems like lately everyone is touting how we must GO GREEN. Not a bad idea, especially when we hear reports of the Arctic Sea ice shrinking. Since I don't want to miss following the rest of the herd on this green earth, here are some ideas I've garnered from the corporate world that we should not do. After that I'll give some ideas that you could really use to make a difference.
POOR EXAMPLES GARNERED FROM GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATIONS:
First, appoint someone in your family the position of Environmental Compliance. Either increase their allowance or start one for the first time. What's their duty description? Make signs advertising how Green your family is. Don't worry about how true your claims are, the truth is found in the advertising. If you can get your neighbors to believe it, then it's got to be true.
Second, reduce your trash going to the curb by purchasing trash rights with your neighbor. Notice how their trash can is always half-full, and yours is overflowing? Well, move it right on over to theirs for a reduction in your own take-to-the-curb trash. Plus, just think how much prettier the sidewalk will look from now on without those embarrassing empty bottles spilling all over. Oh, you say you can't afford purchasing unused trash rights from your neighbor? Don't worry, just drag a bag or two over in the dark of night and no one will be the wiser.
Third, reuse your worn "The Browns have gone Green!" signs by selling them to your neighbor...at a discount! By crossing out your name and adding theirs (with biodegradable green ink, of course), you'll demonstrate your hefty commitment to recycling. While you are at it, donate your fruitcake left over from last Christmas to a local charity this year. Yes, it is finally time. Not only will you reduce your own trash, but you'll also get a hefty tax reduction in the process.
Finally, bury a large pile of trash in your own back yard, cover it neatly with a few inches of dirt, and place a beautiful plaque in front of it: "TIME CAPSULE: Do Not Open Until 2108." Won't they be in for a big surprise. Maybe by then they'll have a plan how to deal with our increasingly toxic household waste, because it's clear corporate America and our government don't have a clue.
SOME IDEAS THAT COULD ACTUALLY WORK:
Before sneaking a bag of trash to your neighbor's, there are some great things you can do.
1) Appoint one of your kids as the CEO of your home. That is, the "Chief Environmental Officer" who looks for ways to recycle, reuse, and reduce. Most children are learning about how important the environment is at school, and this will give them a great outlet for their concern.
2) Recycle: Recycle everything you possibly can. Plastics, glass, and metal go into the recycle container. If your
community doesn't recycle yet, get involved and write letters to your community leaders. Our resources are finite, and we can't keep throwing everything in a landfill. There is no such thing as a sanitary landfill, regardless of what you are told.
3) Reuse: Notice how many convenient things we buy that we use once or twice, then throw away? Begin by simply using regular plates, utensils, and glasses. Paper plates, plastic dinnerware, paper towels, and disposable cups last almost forever in a landfill. Yes, it will mean a little more effort on our part to actually wash the dishes, but our landfills cannot stand the assault of domestic trash.
4) Reduce: Reduce the amount of trash you throw away weekly. Not only do we consume more than any other nation in the world, we also throw away more. Track how many bags you take to the curb every week. Once you have a baseline, develop a plan to reduce that number by at least one, then eventually by half. If everyone did that, our landfills would last twice as long.
5) Rethink: Plan meals so leftovers are actually consumed, and not thrown away. Also, plan your purchases so that nothing spoils. That deal on fresh spinach and apples won't be a bargain if most of it is thrown away due to spoiling. Yes, you very likely will save money on your monthly grocery bill as well. Why do this? Decomposing food in a landfill emits large amounts of methane gas. Methane is 21 times worse on the environment than carbon dioxide.
5) Replace: Take out at least one inefficient light bulb and replace it with one of the new ENERGY STAR qualified CFC (Compact Fluorescent Bulb) lights. The government boasts that if every American home replaced just one light, we would save enough energy to light more than 3,000,000 homes for a year with $600,000,000 in savings on annual energy costs. Make sure to read the label carefully, though, and do not buy ones that contain MERCURY. (For more information, read the tips from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found at
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls.)
6) Return: It is now fall. The leaves are about to fall to the ground in most parts of the nation and will create huge drifts if nothing is done. I've also learned that if nothing is done, those leaves will drift to my neighbor's lawn, but that isn't exactly very friendly, is it. Soon, large brown bags filled with leaves will also line the sidewalks. Instead of sending them away, why not return them back to the ground? I make every effort to mulch all the leaves, leaving them on the ground where they will provide fertilizer for next spring. Call me lazy, but I even find it far easier to mulch my grass as I mow during the warmer months, rather than stopping every few minutes, dumping the grass in a lawn bag, and hauling them all to the curb on pick-up-day. I think I actually mowed my grass for the last time this season. The next time - I mow the leaves! Return them back to the ground and save our environment.
7) VOTE: Yes, vote for candidates that will work for a better environment and mean it! Going Green is very popular right now, but for too many it is no more than a slogan for election or re-election. Begin examining your local politicians and hold them accountable. Too many communities either do not have recycling programs, or their programs are horribly inadequate.These are just a few ideas that could actually work, but you'll have to do something to make a difference. Start with your home, and then move into your community. If we all do something, we will make a difference and leave a legacy for our children.