Pledges

Choose a pledge
from the list or make up your own!

Walk and recycle

Be a vegan two days a week

An Invention which "Kills Two Birds with One Stone"・

Countries all around the world have been trying to solve the problem of the flooding of grocery bags into our environment for a quarter of century, but no one has done it so far (1). You already know that environmentalists say plastic bags jam machinery, pollute waterways, kill ocean creatures and often end up in trees. San Francisco officials, for example, believe that the city spends 5.2 cents per bag annually for street litter pickup and 1.4 cents per bag for extra recycling costs (2).

Another problem we have not solved for a century is the dog waste problem. There are over 68 million dogs in the US, and they create more than 13,000 tons of feces everyday. However, only 40% of dog walkers pick up after their dogs, so the waste is eventually washed away by rain and end up contaminating our drinking water (3).

However, here is good news: There is a new type of pooper-scooper now in the USA, called Doggie-Poop-Catcher (4) with a collapsible frame structure which springs open any grocery bag instantly and catches dog feces before it falls on to the ground. No more contact with dog feces through a plastic bag. No more residue on the sidewalks. No more volunteers to clean up both dog waste and grocery bags separately. (5)

In the U.S.A., the estimated consumption of grocery bags by using the Doggie-Poop-Catcher is about 68 millions if every dog owner willingly reuses grocery bags for cleaning up dog waste because about 50% of dog owners take their dogs out for walking. That is, each dog owner may consume 14 grocery bags per week which is more than an average household gets from grocery stores. If all dog owners willingly reuse 68 million grocery bags each day for picking up dog waste, we can kill two birds with one stone.

Estimated grocery bags consumed by dog owners if they utilized grocery bags:
Number of dog s in the USA----------------68 million (by APPMA)
Number of dogs go walking-----------------about 50% (6)
Possible consumption per day---------------68 millions x 50% x twice a day = 68
Grocery bags consumed in the US per day-82millions (7)
Estimated consumption by dog owners-----82% of the US consumption (68/83)

(1) http://www.reusablebags.com/news.php
(2)http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/24/national/main 668712.shtml
(3) http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/2002-06-07-dog-usat.htm
(4) http://www.doggiepoopcatcher.com
(5)http://www.portsmouthhe rald.com/2005news/08182005/news/58360.htm
(6) http://www.stormwatercenter.net/Pollution_Prevention_Factshe ets/AnimalWasteCollection.htm
(7) http://www.state.tn.us/environment/tn_consv/paperplastic.php

Best wishes,
Katz

no more paper cups! My indirect pledge is to get out and appreciate nature....take long walks ...relax the mind and expand the soul.

Air dry your hands
Turn your monitor off when not in use
Don't leave your computer/monitor on for extended periods of time
Carry your own cutlery with you
Bring your own tupperware to restaurant for leftovers

I realized today that I haven't been inside a car in over a month (since October 16th). I've traveled exclusively on bike and foot, and it's become somewhat of a habit and tremendously easy to work with. I'm going to do it till at least February (start low - aim high later). It's not hard, and I'm getting a slight head buzz praising my efforts.

Also, from the list... I drink loads of coffee (one,... two gallons a day) and waste loads of paper cups. It's stupid to do this, but really easy to fix. I bought a travel mug yesterday (after over a decade of incessant C8H10N4O2 drinking) and pledge to drink merrily to splendid future of our planet.

Oh,... and while on the subject of coffee... buy fair trade!! It's the only way to go.

I pledge to never go shopping without a grocery bag.

I pledge to use my printer less and always print on both sides. I also will avoid buying things that come packaged in plastic.

I pledge to conserve energy by sealing all cracks in my house also minimizing trips in vehicles and continue carpooling with employee's. I also pledge to get my waste company to start recycling ( tried many times already) . I pledge to purchase my own bags for groceries. I pledge to pledge!