Quebec Valley

2008 is almost over. What did you accomplish this year? I hope you had success in what you wished for. However, you need to pause for a moment and ask yourself what you did for others.

It’s quite simple: we live in this world together and if we all act selfishly, things won’t go very far. This thinking works in all aspects of life: business, health, society, etc.

I consider myself a semi-earth-friendly person. This is my way of giving back. Not to you or anyone around me but to the future generations. To my kids and their grand kids. What I do now might not have an immediate impact (it might not have any actually) but I hope it will in the end. It’s karma. If you’re mean, people will be mean to you. If you’re nice, people will be nice to you. Although I don’t believe in any type of god, this is sort of my religion.

• I could live in a large house in a suburb but I decided to live in a tiny place close to a subway station.
• I could drive into a nice heated parking spot in downtown but I decided not to (although some of my friends say I’m crazy)
• I could drive for 30 mins and go to big malls and other club-style warehouses but I decided to buy local (I walk most of the times to do my groceries).
• I recycle everything I can, including batteries. 
• I donate clothes and other items to charity.
• etc.

I’m not a green-nazi person but I try to be careful. It’s common sense. Why? Because we’re in it together and we don’t own the earth, we’re just borrowing it.

One day I felt pretty sad. I heard about the existence of the 7th continent. For those who don’t know about it, it’s a giant “island” made of trash in the ocean between Hawaii and California. It’s the size of France and some believe that over 100 million tons of plastic float, forming some sort of an island. You can’t really walk on it as it floats but it’s quite disturbing as it affects the marine life. Of course, no nation will take the first step as the clean up cost will be enormous. So this island will keep growing…

I don’t want you to change your mind or your views but please take a second to read about it. Educate yourself about these things. If you think it doesn’t affect you then it’s not true. We pretty much all drink water and many eat fish. Numerous chemicals have been released in the ocean as plastics don’t fully biodegrade, they break down in smaller pieces (and are often eaten by fish). Read about Bisphenol A and how dangerous it is. That “soup” is filled with this and other chemicals. If anything, please forward this to one person and ask that person to forward to someone else. We must spread the word.

There’s a simple phrase to remember and if anything, I hope you simply remember this simple phrase:

What goes around, comes around…