Pictures & Ponderings: Stand Your Ground

« The Coyote That Wanted to Eat My Dog for Breakfast | Main | Instantly Greener: Good Things Come in Little to No Packaging »

03/10/2013

Pictures & Ponderings: Stand Your Ground

"Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground." -- David Vaughan Icke

Let me say right off the bat that I had no idea who David Icke was until I googled the quote above (first seen on my neighbor's bumper sticker) for proper attribution. If you've been living under a rock like I've apparently been and don't know who he is either, you can click the link above and see that he's got a lot of theories that are definitely "out there." But this post isn't about David Icke. It's about holding fast to what you believe in, no matter how preposterous it seems at the time.

I've heard so many people trash environmentalists like Al Gore and Ed Begley, Jr., and it always surprises me when people think they're nuts, given the current state of polar ice and superstorms. But I'm so glad that both of them planted the seeds of change and continue to face down the nay-sayers.

About ten years ago, I think I was the only one taking my own reusable grocery bags into our local supermarket. I felt like a bit of a freak, but it was personally important to me to cut down on my plastic consumption, so I braved the odd looks and soldiered on. Now, most stores are selling reusable bags right at the checkout, and it seems like only the minority of shoppers are still using those flimsy plastic bags. I'm not saying that I was personally responsible for the shift to reusable bags at my supermarket, but I am saying that I'm glad I held my green ground when it wasn't the popular or trendy thing to do.

How about you? Have you ever taken a stance on something that was unpopular at the time, but later became an accepted practice? Have you ever felt like an eco-freak?

**********************************************************************************************************

A Note about Subscriptions, Sharing, and Comments: If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe to this blog via RSS reader (bottom of right column) or email (under "Categories"). Already subscribed? Please share posts on Facebook, Twitter, email, and out there in the "real" world. (There are social media sharing buttons at the end of each post on the main site.) To comment (and please do!): If you're a subscriber and you get this blog delivered to your computer, phone, or iPad, click on the blue title at the top of the post to get to the main site. Then you will see the Comments section at the end of the post. Thanks for reading Joyfully Green!

******************************************************************************************************************************

Posted at 09:16 PM in Pictures & Ponderings | Permalink

Technorati Tags: Al Gore, David Icke, Ed Begley, Jr., plastic bags, reusable bags

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a017742fbc49d970d017c37867cd2970b

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Pictures & Ponderings: Stand Your Ground:

Comments

"Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground." -- David Vaughan Icke

How about you? Have you ever taken a stance on something that was unpopular at the time, but later became an accepted practice? Have you ever felt like an eco-freak?

**********************************************************************************************************

******************************************************************************************************************************

A Little Introduction...

Welcome!

Green Books for Children

Igor Siwanowicz: Animals Up Close
See review under Green Books, 11/12/2012
Helen Frost: Step Gently Out
For commentary, see "Savoring the Last of Summer" post in Nature & Wildlife.
Leo Lionni: Frederick [English Edition]
For commentary, see "Savoring the Last of Summer" post in Nature & Wildlife.
Terry Allan Hicks: Why Do Leaves Change Color? (Tell Me Why, Tell Me How)
For commentary, see "Appreciating Autumn" post in Nature & Wildlife.
Betsy Maestro: Why Do Leaves Change Color? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)
For commentary, see "Appreciating Autumn" post in Nature & Wildlife.
Alison Inches: I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (Little Green Books)
"One little monster learns to reduce, reuse, and recycle." That's all good, of course, but my own children laugh out loud every time they read how Max the Little Monster (before his attitude adjustment) clogs up the toilet with too much toilet paper, yelling "Hungry Toilet!" Kids...they just love the potty humor. Made from 100% recycled paper.
Julia Rawlinson: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
This book is incredibly sweet. A sensitive, little fox named Fletcher cannot understand what is happening to his beloved tree at the onset of autumn, and he tries everything in his power to keep the leaves on the tree. When he wakes up one winter morning to find his tree covered in dazzlingly beautiful snow crystals, it chokes me up every time. Although it's not about saving the earth, the book is a lovely tribute to nature and its seasons.
Diane Muldrow: We Planted a Tree
I love how this relatively new book (published in 2010) is charmingly illustrated in the same style as those Little Golden Books from the 1960's. In simple prose, the book explains what happens when you plant a tree and watch it grow, while enjoying the benefits of fruit, shade, budding flowers, and cleaner air.
Dr. Seuss: The Lorax (Classic Seuss)
This book is a classic for a reason. As I was reading it for the first time to my children, I could see the shock and sadness on their faces when the very first Truffula Tree was chopped down. Unlike the progression of The Curious Garden (see below), things just keep getting worse--all in the name of "progress." It ends with a powerful message: "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Great for generating conversations with young children about caring for and protecting natural resources. Printed on recycled paper.
Peter Brown: The Curious Garden
First, I have to admit it: As a mom, I'm *slightly* bothered that a little boy is walking around a creepy city all by himself, and "stumbles upon a dark stairwell" which he decides to head up. However, this book is simply magical, so I'll chalk it up to "willing suspension of disbelief" and let it go. With each page, as Liam grows from a novice gardener into a Green Thumb Extraordinaire, the dreary city in which everybody stays inside becomes a green utopia that everybody enjoys. Liam helps the whole city to bloom, and changes the mindsets of its citizens, simply by taking the first steps and sticking to his mission--without any preaching whatsoever. My favorite parts are the multiple spreads with no words at all, which depict how the gray, dirty city is growing greener and cleaner with the passage of time, thanks to our hero. Printed on recycled paper.

Green Books for Adults

Beth Terry: Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too
See commentary in the post entitled The Myth of Throwing Things "Away", 1/17/13.
Elizabeth Royte: Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash
See commentary in the post entitled The Myth of Throwing Things "Away", 1/17/13.
Todd Christopher: The Green Hour: A Daily Dose of Nature for Happier, Healthier, Smarter Kids
See commentary in the post entitled "Time Out: How to Get Outdoors with Kids as the Weather Gets Colder", 11/21/12
Rebecca Cohen: Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids
See commentary in the post entitled "Time Out: How to Get Outdoors with Kids as the Weather Gets Colder", 11/21/12
Michael Pollan: The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
For commentary, see "Local Farm vs. Supermarket? No Contest" post in Green Places.
Lewis Blackwell: The Life & Love of Trees
Hands-down, this is my favorite photography book of all time. The collection of photographs, from close-ups of leaves to forest vistas, is simply breath-taking. It sits on my coffee table at home, and whenever I need a breather, it's there for me with its exquisite portraits of trees, accompanied by some poetic food for thought. I do find it odd that this, of all books, wasn't printed on recycled paper, but perhaps the publisher felt the photographic quality would be diminished? In any case, I forgive the transgression, because this book is a heart-breakingly beautiful ode to trees.
Richard Louv: Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
I feel like I grew up with Richard Louv. His childhood was so similar to mine, with a neighborhood full of children all outside, playing together, and exploring from morning until our parents called us home for dinner (and then back outside again after we ate). Louv makes some very compelling arguments for limiting technology and reintroducing your children to the powerful, healing effects of nature.
Henry D. Thoreau: Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition
Like many other Americans, I read this book in high school English class, but it means much more to me now, as an adult. Living in our "More! More! More!" society, it's always a good reminder that you can, indeed, exist quite happily with just the basics. I chose this edition for the interesting annotations, but also because the cover photograph of a small house in the woods is so tranquil, simple, and pretty--it sits on my coffee table to inspire me.
Ed Begley Jr.: Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life
Ed Begley, Jr. is a pioneer in the green movement (he's been eco-conscious since 1970), and he's one of my heroes. I can't live exactly like Ed (which I'll detail in another blog post in the future), but I love his approach: "You don't climb Mount Everest in a single day." He groups all of his suggestions into "Easy Changes" (which he calls "the low-hanging fruit"), "Not-So-Big Changes" and "Big Changes" (in which the biggest pay-offs require some up-front investments). You can pick and choose what you want to try. Have I mentioned that Ed is one of my heroes? Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
Diane MacEachern: Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World
This book is a compendium of everything you'd ever want or need to buy--from food and clothing to toys and appliances--and how to make a greener choice in doing so. Printed on recycled paper.