The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now!

For my birthday this year I had asked my friends for only one thing: Trees!

Many donated money for trees and and a group of about 15 of us including some volunteers  ventured out to Yelahanka on a fine Saturday morning to get our hands dirty. Under the guidance of Mrs. Janet from the NGO “Trees for free” it took us approximately 3 hours to plant 100 saplings of fruit and flower trees.

And even though we were quite exhausted after that, we left with a feeling of great accomplishment. We planted something that will reap rewards for years to come and benefit our city, planet and future generations.

Apart from the obvious environmental benefit it is a beautiful feeling to create something together with your friends that you know will grow and remain there and carry fruits in the years to come.  Although we might not be together in this city anymore, this garden will be there J

Get your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors together. Celebrate your anniversary, your child’s birth or your graduation. Plant in commemoration of a loved one. Plant because you are getting together with your school friends after many years. Plant without any reason at all J

Organizations like treesforfree.org or saytrees.org will guide you on how, where and when to plant to make sure the saplings are well maintained and taken care of afterwards. Additionally your RWA can help you in getting necessary permissions to plant saplings in your immediate neighborhood.

Need some facts on why we need trees?

• Over the course of its life, a single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide.
• One person causes about 10 tons of carbon dioxide to be emitted a year. Planting 10 trees per person will remove each person's carbon debt for the year.
• Approximately 300 trees can counter-balance the amount of pollution 1 person produces in life time.
• A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. So two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four.

Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30%.

Trees keep our air clean, they reduce noise pollution, improve water quality, help prevent erosion, create shade and look beautiful.

I hope this will inspire and motivate some people to do the same. If you would like to know more or if you need any hands in a plantation drive please get in touch with me J

Lots of love,

Friederike

Why you should switch to Bamboo toothbrushes!

A few months ago I got my first bamboo toothbrush and I think you should all get one as well.

Here is why:

• Plastic toothbrushes came onto the market in 1938 and since then every single tooth brush that got produced still exists somewhere on the planet.
  

• Toothbrushes are made from a combination of plastic (which is made from crude oil), rubber for the hand piece and nylon for the bristles.
• In addition to that they come in a packaging of plastic and cardboard.
• For our dental hygiene we are advised to change our toothbrushes every three months. With an average life expectancy of 75 years each one of us will consume about 300 toothbrushes during our lifetime, about 12 pounds of plastic waste.
• All over the world over 4.7 billon toothbrushes are produced annually that end up in the landfills or the environment.

Why if there is an alternative?

Bamboo India and other companies produce environment-friendly toothbrushes that will decompose along with your other household waste after you throw them.

Their handle is made of bamboo which is the fastest growing plant on the planet and grows in abundance in India.

• During their life span bamboo produces considerably more oxygen and binds considerably more CO2 than hard wood trees.
• Bamboo also doesn’t require any chemical fertilizer to grow which protects the soil and does not add any chemicals to the environment.
• After harvesting, virtually every part of the plant is used to make a wide variety of products. From soil-enriching mulch to beautiful furniture to chopsticks, every part of the plant can be utilized.

All this makes bamboo an incredibly sustainable plant, which has the potential to save us and the environment from a lot of harm.

When you buy your Bamboo toothbrush check what the bristles are made of. Some companies use nylon 4. This is a special kind of nylon which is 100% biodegradable. Others use regular nylon which you should pluck of your toothbrush before you throw it into your composter.

Also bamboo is naturally antibacterial.

So many reasons to immediately switch to a sustainable eco-friendly dental hygiene. I have ordered mine from Bamboo India, which sends you your toothbrush also in 100% biodegradable packaging. (www.bambooindia.com)

One step towards a life without plastic waste is made! My next target is to find a way to produce my own tooth paste (powder) so I won’t have to purchase anymore tubes. If anyone has any experience on that please get in touch with me J I will start experimenting on that soon and update as soon as I find something to recommend.  

„Many small people, in many small places, doing many small things can alter the face of the world.” (African proverb)

Wake up and do something!


Our planet is going down the drain and we are responsible for it. Forests and lakes are dying and people outside our bubble are suffering under the effects  of our lifestyle. Those are the bad realities we have to accept.

A few months ago an article circulated around the internet that predicted Bangalore to be unlivable in 5 years. Urban planning (or better the absence of that), politics and business interests can of course be blamed for that. But because blaming alone doesn’t solve any problems we must also look at our own role in that. And that is our lifestyle. It’s the garbage we produce and just throw out, the lazy convenience of driving even the shortest distances by car and avoiding public transport, the usage of chemicals in almost everything we consume. All the garbage and pollution we create and consume doesn’t go away. We have to realize that and stop creating it in such dimensions. That of course is something that is valid for all the places. It’s just that here in India we cannot even close our eyes from it, what should make the urgency of creating a sustainable lifestyle even more undeniable.

And the good thing is I do firmly believe that each of us can bring that change . The way I can do that is by starting to changing myself, my lifestyle and my so called default settings. If I do that step by step it won’t even feel like I’m sacrificing much of my lifestyle. No one says we have to stop shopping, eating and consuming what we like completely. Just look at ways to do it without harming your direct and indirect environment. You don’t need to be an expert, and inventor or scientist, you don’t need to be rich or famous, just look at yourself, your life and your circle of friends, families and neighbors.

If we all take those tiny steps one at a time, our own time, we will reach a lifestyle that will make us happier and healthier and leave behind a planet that future generations will be able to enjoy as well.

I have and will continue to find ways to make my life more sustainable and look for alternative products and options that will enable me to live a life without waste. I will share those with whoever wants to read it in the hope of giving you some ideas and making it easy to implement a sustainable lifestyle:) At the same time I hope to get ideas, comments and suggestions about the same as well.

I’m looking forward to altering the face of the world with you!

Hugs!