First Day Awakening

I have not eaten meat in four days, and today is the first day that I have craved it. The reason is simple; today is the first day of my 30 day vow not to eat meat. When there was no promise, I had no trouble obstaining, but now that I cant have it, I want it. It reminds me of when my kids fight over toys. A toy can be sitting on the floor for hours gathering no attention from anyone, but as soon as someone shows an interest in it, the other child must have it at all costs. It is the human condition to want what we dont have, and once we do have it, we want more of it, or we want something even bigger and better. Isnt that why we are in this whole Global Warming mess, our massive need to want?

Think about it, has there ever been a factory built for the sole purpose of poluting our air or our waters? No of course not, factorys are build to help people get what they want. As the demands for that want go up, so do the pressures on the factory to produce more, produce faster, and produce cheaper. That is when the poluting begins. To give you a perfect example of this, look at Nike.

Nike, has long been mine, along with millions of other's favorite running shoe company. Infact, it is the world's leading athletic shoe and sport's apparel supplier. It was founded by Phillip Knight (an University of Oregon track athlete), and his legendary Coach Bill Bowerman. They got their start selling shoes that Bowerman had designed to help his athletes on the track. Very humble beginnings for a company that has become one the biggest and most succesful enterprises in history. What they have accomplished is truly inspiring!


So it came as a huge surprise when I read the following story on Greenpeace.com


Greenpeace investigation exposes contaminated supply chain with strong US connection

While the US-based companies behind reputable global brands like Adidas, Nike, Reebok, and Timberland appear to believe that Amazon sources are excluded from their products, our investigations expose for the first time how their blind consumption of raw materials fuels deforestation and climate change.Greenpeace’s undercover investigation into the Brazilian cattle industry has exposed the many convoluted steps in the complex global trade in leather and beef products from part-Brazilian-government-owned corporations Bertin, JBS and Marfrig. We have identified hundreds of ranches belonging to these companies that are within the Amazon rainforest and supplying cattle to slaughterhouses in the Amazon region. Where we were able to obtain mapped boundaries for ranches, satellite analysis reveals that significant supplies of cattle come from ranches active in recent and illegal deforestation. Trade data also reveal trade with ranches using modern-day slavery. Additionally, one Bertin slaughterhouse receives supplies of cattle from an illegal ranch occupying Indian Lands. These slaughterhouses in the Amazon region ship their hides and beef to company facilities thousands of miles away in the south of Brazil for further processing before export. In a number of cases, additional processing takes place in import countries before the final product reaches the market. In effect, criminal or “dirty” supplies of cattle are being “laundered” through this supply chain to an unwitting global market.The demand for leather means more Amazon rainforest cleared to graze cattle which can end up in brands like Nike, Adidas, and Timberland. Take action now >> Ask Nike, Adidas, Timberland, Reebok, Clark’s and Geox to refuse to use leather that is destroying the Amazon.







Read entire story at grrenpeace.org/usa/news/slaughtering-the-amazon

This just shows you how damaging our want can truly be. They are not destroying the Amazon for the fun of it, or at least I hope they're not. The Amazon is being destroyed to keep up with the world's demand for leather - for more. So what is the answer? How do we stop all this? The answer is... WANT. We must want to stop Global Warming. We must want to live in a sustainable way. We must want to leave the earth better than we found it. We have already shown how destructive our want can be. Don't you think its time to show the real power of want? Lets unleash the power of want... the power of WANTING TO CHANGE!!

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."

-Alan Cohen

Project Green Go

It would be a lie to say that I have always worried about the environment, or the effect that my life habits have on the earth. I have definitely been an active participant in this age of materialism, and over consumption. However, over the past few years my views have begun to slowly change. I have finally reached a point where I can honestly say that I believe that the Earth is in crises and there just might be something that I can do about it. Do I think that I can reverse Global Warming, or save a rain forest by myself? No Way. But, I do believe that every little bit helps, and that if enough people around the world make similar life changes, real progress can be made.

My wife and I have recently tried to do what we can to go green. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle has become our motto. Sometimes we really feel like we are making a difference, and other times we fail. The important thing is that we are trying, at least that is what we keep telling ourselves. But, I think that I am now ready to make drastic life changes, at least on a trial basis. I will dramatically change my lifestyle, for the next thirty days. Surely, I can do anything for thirty days, right? Hopefully the new habits will become a part of me, and I will stick to it, even past that point. But, for now I am just going to focus on the short term.

So Here's The Plan

First, I went to PETA.ORG, and signed their "Pledge to Be Veg For 30 Days." I committed to refrain from eating any meat, fish, dairy, or eggs for the next month. In other words, I will be a Vegan. According to the site "Eating one pound of meat emits the same amount of green house gasses as driving an SUV 40 miles." My wife and I traded in our big SUV for an economy car last year, so I was shocked to find out that my meat addiction is just as damaging. Here are some other benefits of giving up meat that PETA lists:

More than Just CO2
Raising animals for their flesh, eggs, and milk is one of the world’s leading emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2). But global warming is caused by more than just CO2. Animal agriculture is the leading source of methane and nitrous oxide emissions, which—combined with carbon dioxide—causes the vast majority of global warming.
Methane: The billions of farmed animals crammed into factory farms produce enormous amounts of methane, both during digestion and from the acres of cesspools filled with feces that they excrete. Methane is more than 20 times as powerful as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in our atmosphere.5 Statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency show that animal agriculture is the number one source of methane emissions in the U.S.6
Nitrous Oxide: Nitrous oxide is about 300 times more potent as a global warming gas than carbon dioxide. According to the U.N., the meat, egg, and dairy industries account for a staggering 65 percent of worldwide nitrous oxide emissions.

My next problem, over consumption. I am a notorious shopper, and spender. I have spent most of my 33 years trying to "keep up with the Jones." So for the next thirty days, there are going to be some sad store owners, because I'm not gonna be coming. I have committed to not purchase anything for myself, except food. No clothes, no CD's, no trips to the mall. My only purchases will be at the grocery store, or the farmer's market. This will be the hardest thing i have ever tried to do. However, I will not only be helping fight Global Warming, I will also be helping save my wallet. (May it rest in Peace) Hey, in today's current economic state, this could be the best thing I could ever do. I think I just heard my wife dancing for joy!

I will also to reduce my use of my car. Unfortunately, I have to use it for work, so I will be unable to totally leave it alone. But, that is all I plan to use it for. When I am off, my feet will be my primary mode of transportation. Luckily, everywhere I really need to go is within a couple miles of the house. I would say that I would buy a bike, but that would break rule # 2. Maybe, I can barter for one?!

So those are the three most drastic changes I will make. I will of course, also keep up with the other green activities we have already made part of our daily lives, i.e. recycling, home energy saving practices, etc. I will be the first to admit that I am far from an expert on the environment, or on green living practices. This month will be a major learning process for me. My hope is that I will be able to stick with, and that it will lead to life changes, not just 30 day changes. And, maybe just maybe I might inspire some one else to do the same.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
— Mahatma Gandhi