I AM A TOTAL NEWBIE BUT HAVE AND IMPORTANT Q????

[KathyLauren]

Hi, Richie. Welcome.

Remember the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? Everyone gets all excited about recycling (probably because some corporate clown can make a buck off it), but the most important one is the first: Reduce.

The problem is consumption, and the solution is to consume less. Less of everything. Everything that you buy contributes to global warming. The raw materials were gathered using petroleum-based fuels. They were processed and manufactured using energy that, at least in part, came from fossil fuels. Then they were wrapped in packaging that had to be manufactured. Then they were shipped vast distances, using petroleum-based fuels. All that fuel consumption contributes to global warming.

That is why self-sufficiency (-ish) is a good thing, and why you are in the right place. When you make things yourself, you are economical with materials, and you do far less shipping. When you grow your own food, you use less fertilizers, you typically don't use machines to harvest, and you don't have to ship the product anywhere. Even if you buy from a local farmer, he or she is more likely to be a small-scale operator who uses less fuel, less fertilizer, less petroleum-based pesticides, etc., and, again, there is less shipping than in buying a product that came from the other side of the planet.

It may not seem like much, but folks like you and me becoming more self-sufficient is what will save the planet. In addition to our own activities, it reduces demand for the products of the big corporations. The only things that will force them to change their ways are either people like us refusing to buy their products, or their eventually running out of resources - which would spell disaster for us all.

So, self-sufficientish is the way.

[spitfire]

hello from california and welcome to ish. great question richie, it is only when people ask questions and not blindly follow like a bunch of lemmings off a cliff that things begin to happen.
i think that we can all make a difference each in our own way. circumstances dictate how much each of us can do. the point is that we do what we can, it reminds me of the joke "how do you eat an elephant?" the answer is "one bite at a time!" maybe your" bite" is to recycle or to grow your own veg, or to take public transport instead of your car, i know you can think of something every little bit counts!!!! and if you add up everybodys little bits i think that we the people will do more than the big guys in the long run.

[old tree man]

Hello Ditto to what kieth said but also don't forget doing things for yourself is also enjoyable, it tastes better, you eat healthier, you feel better by helping yourself and the planet.

[prison break fan]

Hi, I think Keith put it very well and we are all trying to do this. I think it helps to share the things you do as someone else might not have thought of that particular thing. This year I am going to try not to shop! pbf.

[homegrown]

Welcome RS, I think that the the most important thing any of us can do is think!!!!

Before you buy anything ask yourself if you really need it and buy used first,Go for wood and glass, not plastic and remember the greatest present any kid gets for christmas is the box it came in. and most important wear sunscreen, stop smoking andd rive slower, after all you can't save the planet if your dead

[MKG]

So, errmmmm ...

What was Richie's important question?

Mike

[KathyLauren]

So, errmmmm ...

What was Richie's important question?

Mike

I think it was something like "What can I do to combat global warming?"

[Annpan]

Is it one of those quizes....

If the answer is.....
then what is the question?

Great answers anyway , whatever the OP was up to.

[Fred Hoggin]

Im new too, and now totaly lost

[Green Aura]

Don't worry folks. No deep meaningful quizzes. His sole aim was to direct us to another site. It got flagged up as illegal, I checked him out on other sites where he'd joined on the same day with exactly the same opener. So I zapped him!

I've just checked again and he only appears to still be on one other sites so I'm guessing the others zapped him too!

[Fred Hoggin]

Well done